His Pryde and Joy
by DARecruit
Summary: Wolverine and Kitty Pryde mentor story. Logan becomes close with Kitty and treats her as the daughter he never had. Based on X-Men: Evolution universe. WARNING: Will contain spanking of teens in some chapters. If you don't like, please don't read.
1. Chapter 1

_I've been newly obsessed with all things X-Men, so that obsession has inspired this new story. This series is based on X-Men: Evolution, where the majority of the X-Men are teenagers learning to handle their powers and will revolve around Kitty and Logan's relationship (which is strictly mentor/mentee and/or father/daughter-esque). _

_And yes, there will be spanking involved. If you don't like that sort of thing, please don't read. _

_Enjoy,_

_DARecruit _

_P.S.: This story begins at the end of the episode "Grim Reminder", in which Logan finds out he has a computer chip implanted in his brain and goes off to find answers, unknowingly taking Kurt and Kitty along for the ride. HOWEVER, my story will not be following the events from the series after that unless otherwise said._

* * *

**Chapter One**

Logan opened his eyes and blinked a few times, adjusting to the bright light in the room. He was back at the Xavier Institute, in one of the hospital beds in the infirmary. He sat up quickly and looked to his left. Sitting very calmly in his wheelchair was Professor Charles Xavier.

"Ah Logan, it's good to see you awake," Professor Xavier said.

Logan reached up and felt the bandages on his head. How long had he been out? And why was his head bandaged? He didn't remember hitting it. And even if he had, surely it would have healed before any bandages were necessary.

"We removed the chip. Are you experiencing any pain?" Professor X asked, reading Logan's mind.

"Not the physical kind. How are the kids? Kurt…and Kitty?"

"Fine, they're fine. Kitty has hardly left your bedside since you returned."

"Where is she?" Logan asked. _I need to talk to her_, he thought broodingly. He thought back over the recent events. Kurt and Kitty being in the X-Jet was truly just a mistake, but he told them to stay put. Logan hadn't been in control of his thoughts and actions, and at one point he found himself poised to attack Kitty, his claws mere centimeters away from her face. The girl may be able to phase, but even still…Logan couldn't imagine how he would handle the thought of having injured the girl. He told her to stay put and she didn't listen! She didn't listen when he told her to run either! Kurt had wanted to teleport her to safety, but she was determined to stay and save him, the foolish kid! He wasn't worth saving.

"She thinks you are," Professor Xavier said, again tapping into the younger man's mind.

"Charles, she could have gotten herself killed…_I_ could have killed her! Kitty has got to learn when I tell her to do something to _do_ it!" Logan replied angrily. When he found the girl, he was going to turn her over his knee and make _sure_ she learned!

"I've already spoken to her Logan. She knows how dangerous her actions were. Her heart was truly in the right place."

"I don't doubt that…she's a good kid. But even good kids need a kick in the pants every now and again," Logan said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I did ground her for a week," Professor X said, smiling.

"I'm still gonna talk to her," Logan said gruffly as he stood, stretching out his muscles.

"You'll have your chance in a minute. She's heading our way now. But promise me, Logan…only talk to her. That child adores you. She was only trying to help you. She was frightened and followed her instincts," the professor said as he made his way towards the door.

"Alright Chuck, but next time I'm handling things _my_ way," Logan replied as the door flew open and Kitty Pryde all put tackled him in her urgency to hug him.

"Ooof! Easy Half-Pint! I only just got out of the sick bed!" Logan said, wrapping his arms around the teenager.

"Sorry Mr. Logan, I'm just so happy you're ok!" Kitty replied laughing. She didn't lessen her hold on the gruff man she so respected.

"It seems you two have some catching up to do. I will see you both at dinner later," Professor X said as he made his exit.

"Look Half-Pint…you and me, we need to talk," Logan said, gently prying the girl away from him and holding her at arms' length.

Kitty sucked in a deep breath and blew it back out the side of her mouth so that it ruffled her bangs. "I had a feeling you were going to say that," Kitty said dejectedly. "Professor Xavier already lectured me," she added in the hope that Mr. Logan would let her off the hook.

"So I've heard. Come sit down with me," Logan said, leading Kitty over to the bed and sitting down. He patted the spot next to him and she plopped down.

"First off, I do know that you were just trying to help me and I appreciate that, I really do. But you could have gotten hurt, Half-Pint. _I _could have hurt you…or worse. You _have _to listen when I tell you to do something, especially when it involves your safety!" Logan said sternly.

"I knew you wouldn't really hurt me, Mr. Logan. Besides, I can phase through anything," Kitty said, her big blue eyes looking up at Logan sweetly. He almost lost his nerve and dropped the subject. But she had to realize how close she came to getting hurt. And she could _not _do it again.

"I could have, kid. I wasn't in control. The chip…And just because you can phase doesn't mean you can go putting yourself in needless danger! I was the threat at that point, Kitty! Kurt had the right idea to stay away from me, but you wouldn't listen!" he scolded, his voice rising.

"But Mr. Logan—" Kitty started before being cut off. She sighed and bit her lip. Professor Xavier had been much more relaxed about the whole thing. Sure, he grounded her for a week, but he also praised her on her bravery and determination. She was one of the X-Men after all. But Mr. Logan was treating her like a naughty little kid. Glancing sideways at him, she saw how upset he was.

"Do you know how much you scared me, Half-Pint? Or realize how upset I would be if I had hurt you?" Logan asked, lowering his voice again. He really needed the kid to understand how scared he had been, and he was just trying to look after her.

Logan noticed Kitty had the decency to look ashamed of herself, and even cast her eyes downward.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Logan. I was just trying to help," Kitty said, her voice catching slightly.

"I know you were, Half-Pint. I can take care of myself though. When I give you orders, you need to follow them, no questions asked. Got it? It's my job to take care of you…not the other way around," Logan finished, wrapping his arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Yes Mr. Logan. I really am sorry," Kitty said, snuggling up against him.

"It's ok Half-Pint. Just see that it doesn't happen again."

"It won't, I promise," said Kitty as she buried her head into Logan's shoulder.

"See that it doesn't…or you and me will have a problem," Logan said, and he surprised even himself as he kissed Kitty's head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Kitty Pryde sighed and rolled onto her side. The clock on her nightstand said it was 2:03 in the morning. She wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, she might as well get up and see if she could find anything to watch on tv.

Kitty flung the covers off herself and tiptoed to the door, phasing through it so as to not wake up the sleeping Rogue. She made her way down the hallway, tripping over a table in the darkness.

"Ow!" proclaimed Kitty as quietly as she could, nursing her sore foot.

"Whose there?" replied a gruff voice, followed by the unmistakable _snikt _of Wolverine's claws extending out of his hands.

"It's me, Mr. Logan. Kitty."

"What are you doing up this late, Half-Pint?" Logan asked, retracting his claws. He reached for the light switch and flipped it on. Kitty squinted her eyes at the sudden brightness.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, sighing.

"Gotcha. Well…I hear hot chocolate is good for sleepless nights. C'mon, I'll make us some," Logan said as he made his way towards the kitchen, Kitty quickly following.

Kitty sat at one of the chairs at the long dining table as Logan filled the teakettle with water and placed it on the stove to heat. She watched as he got out two mugs, the hot chocolate powder, and a bag of marshmallows.

"Mr. Logan? Can I ask you a question?" Kitty asked as Logan scooped powder into both mugs.

"Sure, Half-Pint…and I've told you before, you can just call me Logan. Everyone else does," he answered, smirking.

"It's just a habit. Why do boys have to be so stupid?" Kitty whined, propping her head up on her left hand.

"Why don't we take our hot chocolate into the living room and you can tell me everything?" Logan suggested, pouring the hot water into the mugs and stirring them up. "Want marshmallows?"

Logan placed the mugs on the coffee table as he sat down on the sofa before opening his arms in invitation. Kitty immediately curled up against his side, breathing in his musky cologne. She felt so safe in his arms, like she did with her dad back home. In many ways, Logan was very much a substitute father for Kitty now, one who could really understand what she was going through and always willing to offer a helping hand.

Logan was surprised at how easily his relationship with Kitty was growing. It felt natural. He wasn't one to let anyone in, but somehow this little girl found her way into his heart. It had been about a month since his trip to the Canadian Rockies and finding out he had a chip in his head. In that time, the two had grown closer than Logan ever thought was possible.

"So let's talk about the stupid boy," Logan said, eliciting a giggle from the teen in his arms.

"It's Lance…I know he likes me. And I like him too. But he's just so…_stupid_! Ugh! Like, today at school we were talking and everything was fine but then Pietro and the rest of those goons come along and Lance changes. He really isn't bad…not like the rest of them. I just don't get why he has to be a completely different person to everyone else but me," Kitty said sadly.

"They're all troublemakers, that's for sure. I don't really like you hanging out with Lance, you know that, Half-Pint," said Logan.

"I know…but he really is my friend, Mr. Logan."

"I want you to at least be careful around him. I don't trust him. As for him acting differently around his friends…that's normal teenage boy behavior. They think it makes them look tough and grown," Logan said, reaching for the mugs. He handed one to Kitty and took a sip from his own.

"Do they ever change?" Kitty asked as she cupped the warm mug between her hands.

"Some of them do, yeah. But it takes years," responded Logan. Kitty huffed. Clearly that was not the answer she was hoping for.

"How about we see if there's anything on tv? And tomorrow, me and you will go see a movie, what do you say?"

"That sounds good, Mr. Logan…thanks," Kitty said, snuggling back up against him.

Logan flipped on the tv and surfed around until he found a movie that both of them could agree on, before settling back against the sofa cushions. He gently carded his fingers through Kitty's hair.

It wasn't long after Kitty's breathing evened out and she was fast asleep against Logan's chest. Turning off the tv, Logan slowly disentangled himself from the sleeping girl and stood up. She looked so much younger than her fifteen years like this. Smiling to himself, Logan gently gathered her in his arms and made his way quietly to her bedroom.

It was a bit of a struggle getting the bedroom door opened (his hands were a bit full) but he eventually managed to get it open enough that he was able to nudge it the rest of the way with his foot. He carefully carried Kitty to her bed and laid her down. He placed her stuffed dragon in the crook of her arm and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Brushing a few stray strands of hair off of her forehead, he leaned down and kissed her.

"Goodnight, Half-Pint. I love you," Logan whispered, making his way back to the door. At the doorway, he turned back and looked at the sleeping teen one last time. Just as he was shutting the door, Logan heard a faint "I love you too" come from Kitty. He smiled and went to clean up the mugs before retiring for the night himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Logan began his Saturday at seven in the morning with a session in the Danger Room. He trained for two hours and then went to shower. Kitty was still soundly sleeping. He would give her until ten before going to wake her.

Making his way down to the kitchen, Logan noticed none of the kids were up yet. Had he had it his way, all the kids would be up and in the Danger Room by seven every Saturday morning, but Charles vetoed that idea, saying that they still needed time to be normal children. And normal children slept in on the weekends.

"Good morning, Logan," Charles said as Logan entered the kitchen.

"Mornin' Chuck, Ororo," replied Logan as he went straight for the pot of coffee. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup.

"It's your turn to make breakfast for the kids, Logan," Ororo said, looking up at him from behind the morning newspaper.

"Again? Didn't I just make them breakfast Thursday?" Logan asked, a slight growl coming from him. Ororo just smirked and returned to the current events section.

"Fine," he huffed, setting his coffee cup down on the counter. Logan then went over to the pantry, pulled out every box of cereal there, and carried them to the table. "Breakfast."

* * *

Kitty could hear someone calling her name, but she had been having a really good dream and ignored the voice.

"Kitty…Come on, wake up Half-Pint," Logan said, nudging the girl's shoulder slightly. She groaned and rolled over onto her stomach.

"Up you get! C'mon!" Logan said, pulling the blankets off of the sleeping teen.

"Mr. Logaaaaaan," Kitty moaned, trying to grab for her blankets and pull them up again.

"The day's wastin', girl! C'mon, we're going to the movies, but you have to get _moving_!" Logan said, landing two playful swats to the girl's bottom. Kitty groaned again and rolled onto her side, looking at Mr. Logan through blurry eyes.

"Go get cleaned up and then come down for some breakfast. We'll leave after that," said Logan as he stood and exited the room.

Kitty walked into the kitchen twenty minutes later dressed in her favorite pair of blue jeans and a pink t-shirt.

"There you are kid! Eat something, and then me and you can be on our way," Logan said from the breakfast nook near the windows.

Kitty had a bowl of rice puffs and chatted with Rogue and Evan who were also eating breakfast. She put her dishes in the dishwasher and skipped over to Mr. Logan. "All ready," she said, giving him a big dorky smile.

* * *

Logan and Kitty walked out of the movie theatre two hours later laughing. Logan had his arm around Kitty's shoulders and she was chatting animatedly about the movie. Logan would have much rather seen the action thriller _Bloodlust_, but it wasn't exactly age appropriate for Kitty, so they wound up seeing a romantic comedy about…something. Logan wasn't quite sure what happened in the movie, but Kitty seemed to have enjoyed it, and that's all that he really cared about.

"Why don't we get some ice cream before heading back to the Institute?" Logan suggested, spotting the ice cream shop just up the street a bit.

They were halfway to the shop when Logan caught a familiar scent. Sabretooth. Quickly scanning the surrounding area, Logan couldn't find him anyway. But he knew he was close. Too close.

"Kitty, go back to the car. I'll meet you there in a minute," Logan said, handing her the keys and pushing her in the opposite direction.

"But I thought we were getting ice cream? Where are you going?" Kitty asked, confused.

"Just do it!" Logan ordered, running towards the alley behind the theatre.

Pocketing the keys, Kitty tore after Logan. She saw him stop ahead and sniff the air. Kitty ducked behind a dumpster and waited to see where he would go next. He turned right, so Kitty carefully followed.

"YOU!"

Kitty looked up and saw a huge man in a trench coat come flying off the roof of the buildings to her left and tackle Mr. Logan to the ground. She heard the _snikt_ of his claws coming out, and the man was knocked away.

_Sabretooth!_ Kitty thought as she got a good look at the attacker. She watched as Mr. Logan landed quite a few punches, sending Sabretooth sailing into a dumpster at the end of the alley. Sabretooth retaliated and sent Mr. Logan crashing into a stack of wooden crates. The two men were starting to make quite a lot of noise with their fighting, and Kitty was sure someone was going to hear and come running.

Mr. Logan _did_ tell her to go to the car, but maybe she could help? She was sure she could phase underneath them and pull Sabretooth into the ground. Surely that would help Mr. Logan out.

Kitty waited for the perfect moment to pounce. Mr. Logan had kicked Sabretooth in the stomach and he went skidding across the ground. As he was getting unsteadily to his feet, Kitty lunged and phased into the ground, sinking Sabretooth up to his knees in concrete. She phased back up and stuck her tongue out at the ugly brute.

"You little—" Sabretooth growled, swinging his right arm around and sending Kitty careening through the air only to crash into a wall ten feet away. She hit her left temple on the brick building and crumpled to the ground.

"KITTY!" Logan yelled, slamming his fist into Sabretooth's skull and knocking him unconscious. He then rushed to Kitty's side. "Are you alright?"

"Ouch," moaned Kitty, sitting up and gingerly touching the side of her face.

Logan examined Kitty's head, making sure there was no bleeding. "You'll live. Might have a nice shiner to show for it," he growled. "Just what do you think you were doing?"

"I—"

"I don't want to hear it. I'm calling Scott to come get you," Logan said, digging his cell phone out of his pocket and dialing the number. After hanging up, he turned back to his delinquent. "Get him out," he said, pointing to the unconscious Sabretooth.

Kitty yanked Sabretooth free and then took a few steps back. Mr. Logan was really angry with her. Every time she tried to explain or apologize, Mr. Logan just growled. So they stood in silence for what felt like ages until Scott appeared.

"Uh…hi," said Scott, feeling the tension between Logan and Kitty immediately.

"Take her home," Logan said, lifting Sabretooth up.

Scott herded Kitty back down the alley and towards his car. When he was sure Logan was out of earshot, he spoke. "So what the heck happened?"

"You don't want to know," Kitty said sadly, wincing.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I made up the name for the action thriller movie Logan wanted to see. If there happens to be a real movie with the same title, it is purely coincidental. Also, next chapter WILL contain spanking. If you don't like that sort of thing, just skip over the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: **This chapter contains a detailed spanking scene of a teenager. If you don't approve of that sort of thing, please don't read.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"Katherine Pryde," Logan growled as soon as he entered the house. The kids milling around the foyer all turned their attention to Kitty who hunched her shoulders and grimaced. "Go to your room now! I'll be up soon."

"Mr. Logan, I—"

"Now, young lady," Logan ordered, his patience all but spent.

Kitty gulped audibly. Mr. Logan had _never_ called her "young lady" before…that couldn't bode well for her if he was doing it now. Blushing slightly and avoiding anyone's gaze, she made her way quickly to her bedroom and sat on her bed.

"Oh Locky, I think I messed up big time," Kitty said to her green and blue stuffed dragon. She picked him up and cuddled him to her chest, rubbing one of his silky wings between her thumb and first two fingers like she did when she was a small child and nervous about something. It had a calming effect on her.

* * *

Logan made his way to his own room to change out of his ripped clothing. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and slipped into his brown boots. He then lay back on his bed and sighed. That girl was going to be the death of him yet. Why couldn't she just do as she was told?

"_Because she's young and impulsive…and she loves you," _came Charles' voice in his head.

"I know she does, Chuck. I…I love her too," Logan said aloud, knowing that Charles would still be able to hear him. "I'm gonna go have a talk with her."

"_Don't be too hard on her, Logan,"_ came the reply.

"I won't, Chuck. But do me a favor and don't eavesdrop," Logan said as he stood and made his way to his door.

"_I wouldn't dream of it, my friend."_

* * *

Kitty jumped when she heard the knock at her door. "C-come in," she stammered, her heartbeat quickening.

"Half-Pint, you and me have _got_ to have a serious talk," Logan said as he entered and shut the door behind him. He could hear Kitty's heart beating rapidly inside her chest, and the sight of her sitting on her bed cuddling her stuffed animal made him melt.

Logan grabbed the desk chair and placed it backwards in front of Kitty with a heavy sigh. Straddling it, he placed his arms on the backrest and stared at the kid in front of him.

Kitty noticed the return of Logan's petname for her. That had to at least be a tiny good sign. He still looked really stern though. He was definitely angry with her.

"Mr. Logan, I'm—"

"Care to tell me just what was going through your head this afternoon, young lady?" Logan asked sternly.

_Uh oh, there was that "young lady" again_, Kitty thought, biting her lip. "I just…thought I could help," she said, not meeting Logan's eyes.

"I told you to go to the car and wait for me! Simple order! You deliberately disobeyed me!" chided Logan, carding a hand through his hair in frustration.

"But I know what I'm doing! We train for stuff like this all the time!" Kitty argued.

"Sabretooth is beyond your skill level! You're just a _kid_!" Logan practically screamed. He noticed Kitty winced and held her dragon closer to herself. He took a minute to calm down before continuing. "Kitty, you have _got_ to stop risking your life for my own! If I get seriously injured, I can heal. _You_ can't."

Kitty hung her head and didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say honestly. She really was only trying to help, but maybe Mr. Logan was right…she wasn't ready for stuff like this.

"I love you Half-Pint. It would kill me if anything happened to you," Logan said gruffly in an attempt to hide the catch in his voice as he said it.

Kitty wasn't prepared for those words or for seeing Mr. Logan's eyes mist over. She couldn't stop the tears flowing from her own eyes as she tried to get the words out. "I-I love y-you too, Mr. Logan," she finally managed, breaking down in a loud sob.

Logan got up and sat down next to Kitty, pulling her into a bear hug. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Logan. I won't do it a-again," Kitty cried into his shoulder, soaking it with tears and snot. Logan let her cry it out for a few more minutes before he pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

"I know you won't, Half-Pint…I'm gonna make sure of that," he said.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Kitty asked, not liking the ominous tone in his voice.

"I'm gonna spank ya," Logan said matter-of-factly.

"No…Mr. Logan, please…you can't!" Kitty said, too shocked to cry anymore.

"This isn't the first time we've had this conversation, Half-Pint. I warned you last time that if you didn't follow my orders, you and me would have a problem. Well…we got a problem," Logan said, hardening his heart. He really didn't want to have to spank Kitty, but he needed to make sure she would never think of disobeying his orders in life or death situations again. She had been lucky twice so far and hadn't gotten hurt. She may not be so lucky a third time.

"But—"

"I'm sorry Kitty, but I can't let you make a habit out of this. I only tell you to run when I really need you to, for your own safety. I know you are capable of fending for yourself, but there are things you are not ready for. Not yet."

"Please Mr. Logan, couldn't you just ground me?" Kitty asked hopefully.

"A lot of good that did the last time," said Logan sarcastically.

"Please…I…I've never be s-spanked before," Kitty stammered. She definitely didn't want to be spanked now, least of all by Mr. Logan!

"Well you won't be able to say that in a minute or so," said Logan as he helped Kitty stand up in front of him. He readjusted himself on the bed and then turned back to the teen. "I don't like this anymore than you do, Half-Pint. It won't be so bad. And it really is a lot better than being grounded, you know."

Kitty definitely didn't think it was better than being grounded, but she knew Mr. Logan wasn't going to be swayed. And part of her thought she deserved this…she _did_ disobey his orders. And nothing Mr. Logan said in his scolding was wrong. Tears began making their way slowly down her cheeks again as she hung her head.

Logan gave a sigh of relief as he watched Kitty. She wasn't going to put up any fight, which was better for the both of them. He didn't want to make this any harder than it had to be.

"Alright Kitty, pull your pants down and bend over my knee," Logan said softly.

Kitty's head snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. "No…please…can't you just do it over my jeans?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Half-Pint. In order to make sure I don't bruise you, I need to be able to see what I'm doing," Logan explained.

Kitty shook her head. "_Please_ Mr. Logan," she pleaded, more tears spilling from her eyes.

"Either you take them down or I will...but they're coming down," Logan said more firmly.

Choking back a sob, Kitty fumbled with the button of her pants. Unzipping them, she shakily pushed them down to just below her bottom before practically falling across Logan's lap. Her heart was racing and she could feel herself shaking slightly.

Logan felt the small tremors coursing through her body as well. It was absolutely breaking his heart. Maybe he _should _just ground her…No, this is what she needed. Trying to ignore his own nervousness, Logan concentrated on pulling Kitty's pants a bit further down her legs until they were at mid-thigh.

"Try to relax, Half-Pint. I promise it won't be nearly as bad as what you're imagining," Logan said, rubbing the girl's back in an effort to ease her anxiety.

_Easy for him to say. He isn't the one about to get his butt busted!_ Kitty thought, but she found her breathing slowing as he continued to rub soothing circles on her back.

Deciding she was ready for the next step, Logan hooked his fingers in the waistband of Kitty's blue and gray striped underwear and tugged them down to meet the girl's pants. Kitty gasped and tried to rise up off Logan's lap, but he placed a steady hand at the small of her back and pushed her back down.

"Easy now, Half-Pint. I told you I need to be able to see what I'm doing. That means bare," Logan said gently.

Kitty whimpered and buried her face in her hands, beyond embarrassed at being draped across Logan's knees, bottom exposed and ready for a spanking.

"Before we start, I need you to listen to me. Are you listening?" Logan asked.

It took Kitty a moment to pull herself together enough to speak. "Y-yes," she moaned through her fingers.

"I know this is your first spanking, so I won't be too hard on you. You can cry and kick all you'd like, but no phasing. If I have to go chase after you, I'll take a hairbrush to you instead. Got it?" Logan said sternly. He had no intention of using a hairbrush on her now or _ever_, but he wasn't going to let her know that.

"Y-yes, sir," Kitty said, tears making their way silently down her cheeks.

Not wanting to prolong the inevitable, Logan raised his hand and slapped it down with medium strength in the center of Kitty's bottom.

Kitty was expecting the first swat to hurt, but she wasn't prepared for the sting. She barely had time to think about it before the next swat landed. And another.

Kitty sucked in her breath and then let it out in a loud "Owwww!"

Logan concentrated on the task at hand. He hated hearing Kitty cry out, but he knew he had to keep going. Better to have her hurt a little by his hand now than be seriously injured later because he hadn't had the courage to punish her for carelessly risking her own life.

The thought of Kitty lying in a bloody mess while trying to protect him helped strengthen Logan's resolve. He began spanking faster and slightly harder, making sure to cover every inch of Kitty's bottom.

"No, noo! Ow! Ouch!" cried Kitty, her legs kicking out. She began to wiggle back and forth, hoping to somehow get away from Mr. Logan's hard hand. "Mr.—OW—Mr.—Ow ow! Ahhh! _LOGAN_! NO!"

Kitty's bottom was turning pink under Logan's ministrations, but he kept slapping her bottom. He turned his attention now to the junction between bottom and the start of her thighs and peppered them with hot spanks. He was determined Kitty would feel this spanking every time she sat down for a day or two.

"Please stop!" Kitty cried, bucking over Logan's lap.

Logan pulled her closer to his body and kept up the pace. Her bottom was quickly turning a deeper pink, tending to red. He planned on stopping soon, but he needed her to let go and really cry it all out. Plus he wanted to make sure that Kitty would never want to find herself across his knees every again.

"This wouldn't be happening right now if you had just done what I told you to, young lady! Instead of tanning your backside, we could have been enjoying ice cream!" he scolded, really laying into her now.

"Ow! Ow! No, n-no! I'm so s-s-sorry. Logaaaan!" Kitty sobbed, fat tears falling into her comforter.

"Do not disobey me again! I tell you to run, you _run_!" Logan had to practically yell to be heard over Kitty's cries. With a final half dozen swats to Kitty's sit-spots, Logan ended the spanking.

Kitty bawled her eyes out. Her bottom stung awfully, but the guilt she had felt at Logan's scolding was completely gone.

As gently as he could, Logan pulled Kitty's underwear back up into place. Her jeans had been kicked off long ago. He began rubbing her back again until she calmed down enough that he could pick her up and place her face up in his lap. He made sure her sore bottom wouldn't rub up against his thighs, and held her as she cried herself out.

"Shhh, it's all over Half-Pint. All's forgiven. I love you, Kitty…you know that, right?"

"Y-y-yeah," Kitty cried, her face buried in Logan's neck.

Logan could feel her tears trickling down under his shirt and making their way down his chest. "I only spanked ya because I love ya," he said thickly, feeling tears pricking at his own eyes.

"I k-know," said Kitty, hiccupping. Her tears were starting to slow and Logan felt her yawn against him.

"C'mon, you're gonna take a nap," Logan said, setting Kitty to her feet. He then pulled back her blankets.

Kitty crawled right in, not bothering to put on pajama pants; she had a feeling that would only make the sting worse anyway. She settled down on her stomach and reached a hand back to try to rub some of the soreness away.

Logan waited until Kitty was finished rubbing to pull the covers up over her. He retrieved her stuffed dragon from the bottom of the bed and handed it over. Kitty immediately held him close to her and buried her head in his plushness for a moment. Logan rubbed Kitty's hair and kissed her gently on her head before turning to leave.

"Wait," Kitty said, her hand darting out of the covers to grab for his. "Stay with me? Until I fall asleep?" She knew she probably should be embarrassed by such a childish request, but after what just happened, it was hard to be embarrassed in front of Mr. Logan.

"Sure Half-Pint," Logan replied, delighted that she asked him to stay. He had been nervous that Kitty would push him away after her spanking. He was glad she didn't hate him for what he had to do.

Logan grabbed the desk chair and turned it around the right way, setting it as close to Kitty's bed as he could get it. He then began rubbing the teen's head as she closed her eyes.

"I love you, Logan," Kitty said sleepily.

"I love you too, Half-Pint," Logan said softly. He continued to card his fingers through her hair for a few more minutes until he was sure she was fast asleep. He then quietly returned the chair to the desk and made his way into the hallway.

Logan very quietly shut the door and breathed a sigh of relief. When he turned however, he saw a handful of kids trying to scatter. "Hold it!" Scott, Kurt, Evan, and Rogue all looked sheepishly at him.

"Danger Room session with me tomorrow morning at six," he said to a chorus of groans. "And let's make one thing clear, what happened in that room is between me and Kitty. If any of you utter even _one_ word about it, I'll tan _you_ in front of the whole school. We got an understanding?"

Logan walked passed the kids, their stunned faces forever ingrained in his memory.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I decided to name Kitty's stuff dragon "Locky" as a nod to Lockheed in the comics, "a highly intelligent alien resembling a dragon who [befriends Kitty and follows] her home after a mission in outer space."(Wikipedia, Kitty Pryde). I do my research ;)


	5. Chapter 5

I couldn't figure out how to keep the story going, because I really wanted some closure between Logan and Kitty. It took me a few days of thinking, but finally this chapter just came to me and about two hours of writing, I think it turned out well. Lot of warm fluffy stuff. I'm really enjoying building the relationship between the two characters, and I hope you all are liking where it's going.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They really do make my day. :)

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Logan found Charles in his study, talking quietly to Ororo. They both looked up when he entered the room.

"How did your talk with Kitty go, Logan?" Charles asked, rolling his wheelchair out from behind his desk.

"You know that saying, 'it hurts you more than it hurts them'? They weren't lying," Logan said, settling down into a chair across from Ororo. "But it had to be done. I won't let her risk her life like that…I can't."

"Raising children comes with both good and bad, I'm afraid," Charles said knowingly.

"I held her afterwards, and made sure she knew I did it because I loved her…I told her I loved her. She's asleep now. I just hope she doesn't pull away once she wakes up…I punished her because I love her too much not to, but I'm not sure if she'll see it that way later. I'm not her parent…maybe I shouldn't have spanked her," Logan said, settling his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands.

"You did the right thing, Logan. I know Kitty greatly respects you…she _loves_ you," Ororo said, placing a hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Ororo is right. Kitty thinks of you as a second father. She won't hold this against you. If anything, I think you have strengthened your bond with her. She knows that you truly care for her wellbeing, and that because of that, you will hold her accountable for her actions," Charles added.

"I hope so, Chuck…I'll be in my room if you need me," Logan said, making his leave.

* * *

Kitty woke and yawned. She rolled over onto her back and immediately regretted it. Gasping, she quickly flopped back over and rubbed the lingering sting. "Ow," she muttered, grimacing at the memory of earlier. She found herself feeling guilty again, and worried that Mr. Logan would still be angry with her. She wanted to go find him, but was afraid that maybe she was supposed to stay in her room. She couldn't remember him saying anything about her being restricted to her room, but she was nervous anyway.

Carefully getting out of bed, Kitty made her way to her dresser and pulled out a baggy pair of gray sweatpants that she thought wouldn't rub against her sore bottom. Quickly looking around, Kitty darted over to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room, and eased her underwear down so that she could check out the damage. Surprisingly, her bottom was only a little pink. She was sure it was going to be blood red! Running a hand lightly over her bottom, she winced as it irritated the skin. _Kinda feels like a bad sunburn_, Kitty thought to herself ruefully.

A knock on the door made Kitty jump and drop her sweatpants. She quickly pulled her underwear back up and then stepped into her sweats, being careful when putting them on.

"Uh, come in," she said, turning from the mirror. The door opened and Mr. Logan popped his head inside.

"Hey Half-Pint…I was just, er, coming to check on you," said Logan, reaching his left hand up to rub at the back of his neck nervously. "Mind if we take a walk?"

"S-sure, Mr. Logan," Kitty said, biting her lip.

They made their way down the stairs and out into the cool autumn evening, the sun beginning to sink behind the tree line, casting a warm glow upon the Institute. Logan started off down the path that would take them on a leisurely stroll around the grounds, Kitty following along quietly beside him. They walked in silence for about ten minutes until they were far enough away from any prying ears.

"Kitty, I—"

"L-Logan? Are you—"

"You first, Half-Pint."

"You aren't m-mad at me, are you?" Kitty asked, not quite meeting his eyes. She didn't want to see the disappointment there.

"What? Of course not, Half-Pint! Hey," Logan said, hooking a finger under her chin and gently making her look at him. "Of _course_ I'm not mad. I was never really mad…I was scared when you came flying out of nowhere and attacked Sabretooth. Then I was terrified you were badly hurt when you crashed into that wall. And I was disappointed that you disobeyed me. But like I said earlier, it's all forgiven. Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at _you_?" Kitty asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Well…because I spanked ya," said Logan simply.

Kitty blushed furiously and looked at her hands. "N-no, I'm not mad…you just…punished me. I deserved it," she said, biting her lip and glancing up at Logan guiltily.

"And you know, I didn't spank you to be mean or hurt you, right? I only did it because I…well, I care about you, Half-Pint. I-I love you too much to not have done it," Logan stammered, reaching around to rub his neck again.

Of course Kitty knew that, how could he think she thought anything differently? "I know that, Logan. I-I didn't think you were mean or anything! I mean…I didn't _like_ it—it _hurt_! But I know why you did it!" Kitty said, staring up into Logan's face. She saw the hurt in his eyes and…was that fear?

"And it killed me to have to spank you—"

Kitty rushed into Logan's arms, hugging him so tightly it actually knocked the wind out of him.

"I love you too, Logan. I don't hate you…if that's what you're scared about," Kitty said, sounding much younger than she was. Tears were beginning to brim and she sniffled, trying to keep them at bay.

Logan returned her hug just as fiercely, and could feel his own tears making silent tracks down his face. Right now, he didn't much care. All that he cared about was this little girl in his arms, the little girl that was very much like a daughter to him. He never wanted to let her go.

After what felt like ages, Logan pulled away a bit and kissed Kitty on the forehead. "You're the closest thing I have to a daughter, Half-Pint. I'm always gonna be here for ya…even if that means correcting you every once in awhile. You're just gonna have to get used to that," he said, rubbing his thumb along her cheek.

Kitty looked up at him through blurry eyes and smiled. "I think I already have, Logan."


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: **This chapter contains a brief spanking scene. It's not really the focus of this chapter, but I want to at least give everyone a warning. Skip over if this isn't your thing.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Logan heard the raucous long before he saw it. Kids were cheering and shouting. "WHAT'S GOING ON?" he yelled, pushing his way through the crowd to get to the center. Two girls were tussling on the ground, throwing punches and pulling each other's hair.

"HEY!" Logan yelled gruffly, pulling the teens apart. One of them was a new recruit—the rebellious blonde girl with the ability to create psionic balls of energy—Logan didn't like very much. And the other was a small brunette…_Kitty_.

Logan didn't have time to react when Kitty phased out of his grip and landed one last hard punch to the blonde girl's face. Logan heard the sickening crunch as the girl's nose was broken. Clutching her bloodied nose, Boom Boom was in the middle of generating one of her "time bombs" as she liked to call them when Logan stopped her.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, and both girls stopped dead in their tracks. "You, Blondie, you're grounded for two weeks—"

"That's not fair! What about _her_! _She's_ the one who broke my nose!" Blondie—Tabitha—argued, pinching her nose to stem the blood.

"Wanna make it three weeks instead?" asked Logan, and the girl backed down. "Bobby, take Blondie to Storm, she'll clean her up." Logan then turned to Kitty and grabbed her firmly by the arm. "You're comin' with me," he growled as he marched her into the mansion.

Logan dragged Kitty into an empty classroom off of the library and locked the door behind them. "Start talkin'!" he all but yelled.

Kitty's adrenaline was still coursing through her body. "She started it, Logan," she huffed angrily.

"I don't care _who_ started it! Physical fighting isn't tolerated here, you _know_ that Kitty!" Logan scolded loudly.

"Why are you yelling at _me_? I was only defending myself—and YOU!" Kitty screamed, her anger flaring.

"I'm NOT yellin'! And you best reign that attitude in, young lady, before I do it for ya!" Logan warned. "What did you mean, you were defending me?"

"Forget it Logan! It doesn't matter!" Kitty yelled, starting for the door.

"Just where do you think you're going? We're not through here," he growled, grabbing her by the elbow.

"Just _drop_ it, would you?" Kitty angrily phased herself out of his grasp, the second time in a matter of minutes. Logan wasn't sure what was going through the kid's head, but he was quickly tiring of her attitude.

"_Hey_! You know better than to phase on me! I'm tryin' to talk to ya!" he scolded, reaching for her again. "And knock off the attitude," he added, landing two solid swats to her jean-clad bottom.

Kitty yelped as Logan's hand connected hard with her bottom and immediately reached back to rub. The swats cured her of her attitude though, that was for sure! Kitty bit her lip and refused to look Logan in the eyes.

Sighing heavily, Logan let her go and ran a hand through his hair. "So she pissed you off, is that it? And you decided to hit her?"

"She said really awful things about you, Logan…what was I supposed to do?" Kitty relented.

"Walk away!"

"But if you had heard what she said—"

"I don't care what she said, Half-Pint, and neither should you! What about when I pulled the two of you apart? Had to get in one last punch, right? You broke her nose!" Logan scolded.

Kitty sighed and looked at Logan guiltily. "I guess I messed up, huh?" she asked.

"I'll say you did!" replied Logan, shaking his head.

"Will it help if I say I'm sorry?" Kitty asked, staring at him with her big blue eyes that never failed to melt Logan's insides.

"A bit, yeah," he said, pulling a chair out and taking a seat. "C'mere, Half-Pint."

Kitty sighed; she knew this part was coming. Her bottom still tingled from the two spanks Logan had already given her, she really didn't want any more. But not obeying would only make things worse for her, so she shuffled over to Logan's side and hung her head.

She started to undo her pants, but Logan stopped her. "Nah, you can leave 'em up this time," he said as he yanked her across his lap.

Kitty didn't have time to register her shock at Logan's leniency before she was placed in what was becoming an all too familiar position. For having grown up without spankings, Kitty seemed to be making up for lost time—this would be her third one in about as many months.

Logan wasted no time and quickly doled out a dozen stingers. "Ow! Ouch!" Kitty ground out, gasping. She was back on her feet seconds after the last spank landed.

"That was just a warning—no more fighting. Anything like this happens again and I'll _really_ let you have it. Understand?" Logan said gruffly, standing and returning the chair to its proper place.

"Y-yeah…understood," Kitty said, vigorously rubbing her bottom. She was glad he hadn't given her a full spanking, but she still hurt plenty from this one. "Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry for being disrespectful to you…for how I talked to you, and for phasing," she said, glancing up into his face before quickly staring at her shoes.

"It's alright, Half-Pint. Just don't make a habit out of it, or me and you will have a problem," Logan said. Kitty couldn't help but be reminded of the first time he had said those very same words to her, sitting on a bed in the infirmary.

"I won't, I promise," said Kitty, smiling. "Hey Logan? Did you see the look on Tabitha's face when I punched her that last time?"

Logan raised an eyebrow, and Kitty blushed slightly. "I'm not saying I was right for punching her but…you gotta admit…it was kinda funny," she amended quickly. Logan couldn't help but laugh.

"You may be spending too much time with me, Half-Pint…you're starting to act more like me every day," Logan said, pulling the girl in for a tight hug.

"That's not such a bad thing though, is it?" Kitty asked against his chest.

"If it means I have to turn you over my knee more often, then yeah, I say it's a bad thing," replied Logan, poking the teen in her side making her giggle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Would you calm down already, Half-Pint? You're making me dizzy!" Logan said as Kitty zoomed passed him for the twentieth time to look out the living room window.

"I just want to see if they're here yet!" replied Kitty, sighing. She resumed her pacing around the room.

"Sit down!" Logan grunted, hooking an arm around the girl's waist as she walked past him and launching her into the sofa cushions.

"Ooof! _Logan_!"

"Stay put," said Logan, pushing Kitty back down when she tried to rise. "Your parents will be here soon. Just relax, kid."

Kitty huffed impatiently. She had been up since the crack of dawn, and it seemed to be taking forever for her parents to arrive. They were coming in for the weekend from Illinois to visit with her and see the Institute for the first time. Kitty was excited and nervous all at the same time.

"What if they don't like it?" Kitty asked uncertainly.

"What? The Institute? Why wouldn't they?" asked Logan, confused.

"What if they…think I'm some kind of freak? After they—"

"Hey, you aren't a freak, and your parents would never think that. We're mutants…some people have red hair, others freckles…it's the same thing, really," Logan said, scooting down to sit next to Kitty. He put an arm around her shoulders and she immediately leaned into him. "Where did these thoughts come from?"

"I dunno," Kitty mumbled, shrugging. "I haven't seen my parents in, like, eight months...they're normal—not like me. What if they decided I'm not worth it?"

"Let me make one thing very clear to you, Katherine Anne Pryde," said Logan as he scooped the girl into his lap, "You are _more_ than worth it. And there's no such thing as 'normal'. Everyone is different. We all have abilities that make us special. Your mutation is just something that makes _you_ special. You aren't ashamed of that, are you?"

"Of course I'm not!" Kitty replied immediately, looking Logan straight in the face. Then she sighed. "Is it silly of me to have thought any of this to begin with?" she asked.

"No. You're growing and changing, and you're afraid your parents won't understand—that there are things about you they _can't_ understand—and they won't accept you for that. And maybe there _are_ things they can't fully understand…not like the rest of us here. But you're their daughter, and they love you…whether you can phase through solid rock or not," said Logan.

Kitty wrapped her arms around Logan's neck and buried her head in his shoulder. "Thank you, Logan," she murmured.

"You're welcome, Half-Pint," Logan replied smiling. He reached a hand up to rub her back comfortingly. The two stayed like that until the sound of Kurt teleporting into the room roused them.

"Kitty! Hey Kitty! You're parents are here!" Kurt said excitedly before teleporting back out.

Kitty jumped off Logan's lap and ran for the doorway. She was halfway there when she skidded to a halt and looked behind her. "Wanna come meet them, Logan?"

"I'll meet them in a little bit, Half-Pint. You go and see them and show them around, give them a chance to have a bit of alone time with you," Logan said.

"MOM! DADDY!" Kitty yelled as she took off again, all of her worries completely forgotten. Logan stared after her, shaking his head in amusement.

* * *

"And this is my room," Kitty said, opening the door to the bedroom she shared with Rogue.

Carmen and Theresa Pryde entered the room and followed Kitty over to her bed. They noticed Kitty had a picture of the three of them together in a frame next to her alarm clock. She also had her stuffed dragon, Locky sitting perched on her pillow. Theresa smiled to herself; Kitty had always loved that toy ever since they gave it to her as a very small child—she used to take it everywhere she went.

"It's beautiful here, Kitty, and you seem very happy," Theresa said, reaching over to rub her daughter's arm affectionately. She missed having her daughter at home, but was glad to see how well Kitty was adjusting here at the Institute. And Professor Xavier seemed to truly care about all of his students.

"I really am Mom. It's great here. I can be myself without worrying about anyone finding out, well…you know," Kitty said, smiling sheepishly. "I do miss you guys though."

"We miss you too, sweetie," Carmen said as he hugged his daughter.

"Do you want to meet some of my friends here? And I really want to introduce to you Mr. Logan!" Kitty said, and her parents both nodded.

"We'd love to meet them, baby," Theresa told her daughter.

Carmen and Theresa were then ushered to the living room where Kitty rounded up her friends to meet them. Each teen seemed very nice. Jean was the oldest girl who seemed to act as a big sister to Kitty; Scott was the older brother type, more reserved and responsible; while Kurt and Evan joked and laughed; and Rogue was a bit rough on the outside but really quite sweet. Watching their daughter interact with the rest of the kids made Theresa's heart swell. Her daughter truly did have a second family here, and for that she was immensely grateful.

Carmen turned to see the newcomer walk into the room. He was a large man with a hard face; he looked like a man who had been through a rough life. But Carmen noticed how the man's eyes lit up as he caught sight of Kitty—it was the same look Carmen had been told he wore when staring at his daughter. _This has got to be Logan_, he thought to himself.

Kitty noticed Logan enter the room; she spun around and walked over to him, grabbing his hand to lead him back to her parents. "Daddy, Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Logan. Logan, these are my parents, Carmen and Theresa."

Logan extended his hand and shook first Kitty's father's hand and then her mother's.

"Kitty's told us so much about you, Mr. Logan. It's nice to finally put a face to the name," Theresa said, smiling.

"You have a wonderful daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Pryde. You should be very proud of her," Logan responded, and Kitty's parents beamed.

The adults continued to converse for a bit longer until Professor Xavier entered the room and offered to show Kitty's parents to the guest room. Theresa turned to go, Kitty in tow. Carmen remained back, wanting to talk to Logan privately for a moment. Theresa seemed to pick that up without him having to say anything, and took Kitty over to chat with the Professor.

"Kitty's told us how much you look after her here, and make her feel safe. And I can see how much you care about my daughter. I'd just…I'd like to thank you for that, Mr. Logan. It makes me feel better knowing that Kitty has someone she can trust to go to when she needs to," Carmen said, extending his hand to the man again.

Logan clasped his hand in Carmen's and shook it again. He wasn't expecting Kitty's father to have said anything of the sort to him, but he was grateful to the man for saying so, and for accepting Logan's bond with Kitty. He didn't want Mr. Pryde to feel threatened by him or his relationship with his daughter at all; he wasn't trying to replace him at all.

"Kitty wormed her way into my heart, that's for sure. And as long as I'm around, I won't let anything happen to your daughter. I can promise you that," he said.

"Keep her away from the boys, please," Carmen said, clapping Logan on the shoulder good-naturedly.

"Don't worry. Anytime one of them comes knockin', I answer…and they suddenly remember they have somewhere else to be," Logan replied, laughing.

"Good man," said Carmen, joining in.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Kitty! Hey Kitty, wait up!"

Kitty Pryde turned to see Lance Alvers heading her way, his backpack slung carelessly over his shoulder as he strutted over. She sighed. Scott kept warning her to stay away from Lance, saying he was trouble, but Kitty saw a different side to the rough-edged boy. And he reminded her of home.

"Uh, hi Lance. What's up?" Kitty asked, adjusting her books in her arms.

"Come with me, I want to show you something," Lance said, taking her books from her.

"Lance, I have English and—"

"This is way better than English. C'mon!" said Lance as he took her hand in his and led her away down the almost deserted hallway.

"We'll be in so much trouble if we get caught!" Kitty whispered. She should just phase out of Lance's grasp and go to fifth period, but she was curious to see what he had to show her. And she never did anything like this…it was kind of exciting!

"Nah we won't. Don't worry," Lance said, opening a side door and ushering Kitty through. They were now outside on campus. "Hurry up, don't wanna get spotted!" he said as he sprinted towards the auditorium, Kitty close behind him.

Making sure the coast was clear, Lance led Kitty inside and up onto the stage. "What do you want to show me, Lance?" Kitty asked.

"Come on," he said, parting the curtains and disappearing behind them. Kitty followed him down a set of stairs and into a small hallway. "Almost there," Lance said before making a sharp turn to the right and opening a door. He flipped on a light and Kitty laughed.

"What's so special about this? It's just a bunch of old props and stuff," she scoffed, turning to leave.

"Yeah, but no one ever comes down here! Look at all this old stuff…I thought it was cool. Thought you might like it," Lance said, looking disappointed. Kitty sighed and looked around. Some of the stuff actually _was_ kind of cool.

"I do like it," she said. Lance gave her a big goofy grin and set his backpack and Kitty's books down by the door. Kitty shook her head as Lance started pulling things out at random.

"Look, a Viking helmet!" he said, putting the plastic gold helmet with fake fur and horns on his head. Kitty couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, here's one with a wig attached!" he said, plopping it down on Kitty's head.

"Come on, Lance…I really should get to class. I'm already late…" Kitty said, turning to grab her books.

"Aw, stay! You aren't gonna miss anything important. Besides, you've got straight A's…skipping once won't hurt you any," Lance whined, grabbing her wrist. Kitty bit her lip and thought about it…she really wouldn't miss much, and her grades _were_ high enough that it shouldn't matter. But she was a good student—she never skipped. _All the more reason to…Be a little reckless, Kitty!_ she told herself.

"Alright, Lance…I'll stay."

* * *

The two spent the next hour rummaging through the different props and costumes, trying things on and genuinely having a good time. "Well, I guess we should get going…skipping one class is enough for me," Kitty said, placing the blue wig she had donned onto a table.

"We should…uh…do this again. It was fun," Lance said, gathering up Kitty's books for her. He slung his backpack over a shoulder and handed Kitty hers.

"Yeah…it was fun," Kitty said, accepting her backpack from Lance. She smiled up at him as he turned the light off and shut the door. The two then made their way back down the hallway and up the stairs. They then snuck out the doors and mingled in with the rest of the kids now getting out of class.

"Kitty! Over here!" Jean called, waving.

"Oh, uh…gotta go! Cya later, Lance!" Kitty said, taking her books from the boy and running off to her friend. "Bye," Lance said, watching Kitty go.

Kitty was barely five feet from Jean when she was stopped dead in her tracks. "Katherine Pryde!" boomed a male voice. Kitty winced and turned in time to see her English teacher, Mr. Landon, striding towards her looking extremely annoyed.

"Oh, uh…Hi, Mr. Landon, I was just coming to see you. I…uh—"

"Let's cut to the chase, Kitty. I saw you coming out of the auditorium with Lance Alvers. I expect it of him, but never from you," Mr. Landon said, fixing Kitty with a stern gaze.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Landon. I know I shouldn't have cut class…" Kitty hung her head and scuffed her shoe in the grass.

"No, you shouldn't have. You missed a pop quiz today," said Mr. Landon and Kitty felt her stomach drop. Logan was going to kill her if he found out that not only had she skipped class, but missed a quiz as well. She could almost feel her bottom starting to tingle and winced.

"Is…is there any way I can make it up? I promise I won't skip ever again," Kitty said, feeling tears welling up.

"You're a good kid, Kitty. Tell you what, come to my classroom after school and you can take the quiz then," Mr. Landon said, patting Kitty's shoulder.

Kitty sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mr. Landon!"

"Don't thank me just yet…you have detention with me on Monday. Now you better hurry to your next class; wouldn't want to be late," Mr. Landon said.

"Yes sir," Kitty said, sighing.

Jean waited until Kitty's teacher was out of earshot before speaking. "Skipping isn't like you, Kitty. What made you do it?" she asked, trying not to let Kitty know how disappointed she was.

"I know…I just…Lance caught me on my way to class and said he had something to show me. I never do anything like this…it was kinda, like…an adrenaline rush," Kitty faltered, looking up at Jean guiltily.

"Lance is a bad influence, Kitty. He's going to get you into real trouble one of these days," Jean scolded gently. Kitty sighed sadly; that was all anyone kept telling her…but there was still something about Lance that intrigued Kitty.

"Come on, let's go to study hall," Jean said, wrapping her arm around Kitty's shoulder comfortingly.

* * *

An hour later, Kitty left Jean, Scott, and Kurt at the library and made her way to Mr. Landon's classroom. Scott told her they would wait for her outside at the picnic tables so they could all go home together.

"There you are, Kitty. Come in and take a seat," Mr. Landon said as soon as Kitty walked through the door. She took a seat in the first row and Mr. Landon placed a quiz paper in front of her.

"Take as long as you need," he said before going to grade papers at his desk.

Kitty finished in about twenty minutes and turned her paper in. "Thanks for letting me make it up, Mr. Landon. I really appreciate it. And I really am sorry for skipping," she said.

"Thank you, Kitty. I know you're sorry, and I hope this will be your first _and_ last time skipping mine—or anyone else's—class. You need to take this detention slip home and have it signed by a parent or guardian," Mr. Landon said, handing over a pink detention slip.

Kitty looked down at the little piece of paper sadly. How could something so tiny fill her with so much dread? And written in the comments section in Mr. Landon's small, cramped writing: _skipping class_. Logan was going to kill her…she was so _dead_. Kitty felt tears forming and quickly brushed them away.

"Yes sir," said Kitty in barely more than a whisper, biting her lip.

"Oh and Kitty? I want you to write me a four page essay on the importance of responsibility and hand it in first thing on Monday," Mr. Landon said, straightening the papers on his desk and placing them in his messenger bag. Kitty nodded her head mutely and didn't make eye contact.

"I'm not doing this to be mean Kitty…and had it been nearly anyone else, I would not have let them make up the quiz. But you're my best student…I wanted to give you at least a little break. We all make mistakes, Kitty. Learn from it," Mr. Landon said, ushering Kitty out of the classroom ahead of him.

"Thanks, Mr. Landon…I'll see you Monday," Kitty said. _If I live that long_, she added to herself.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The next chapter will most likely involve Kitty getting a spanking. Please, if you don't like that sort of thing, **don't read it**. And definitely don't write derogatory reviews. It is a story, FICTION, nothing more. If you have an issue with the subject matter, it is not my fault you keep reading. I've given more than enough warning.

To all of the readers who have written wonderful reviews, thank you so much! Your reviews truly mean so much to me and make me want to keep writing!


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning: **This chapter will contain a spanking scene. It's not long or very graphic, but as always: don't like, don't read.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Kitty found her friends at the picnic tables outside of the cafeteria. Kurt and Scott were arm wrestling while Jean did some homework.

"Hey, there you are, Kitty! Whoa, you look really down…Landon give you a hard time?" Kurt asked, waving at her with his free hand. Scott quickly pinned his right hand down on the table and stood triumphantly.

"Three times in a row, Kurt! I win!" Scott cheered.

"That time didn't count, I got distracted!" Kurt argued.

"You ok, Kitty?" Jean asked quietly, ignoring the boys who were now throwing play punches at each other.

"Logan's gonna kill me…I got detention on Monday," Kitty said sadly, holding up the little pink slip. Kurt stopped mid-jab and looked at Kitty.

"He doesn't have to know…one of us could forge—" Kurt began, but Jean cut him off.

"No we can't. If Logan or the Professor found out, Kitty would be in even more trouble, and so would whoever forged it," Jean said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe you can ask the Professor to sign it…and not tell Logan?" Scott suggested.

"I can't lie to him…and not telling him is just as bad as a lie. He'll know something is up," said Kitty, shaking her head. "Can we just go home?" she added, her voice cracking slightly.

Scott had no sooner put his car in park than Kitty was already out and running for the front doors. She wanted to get to her room as fast as possible. Luckily, Logan wasn't anywhere to be found and Kitty closed her bedroom door with a sigh of relief. Dumping her books and bag by her desk, she quickly changed into a pair of pink sweatpants and a white t-shirt, leaving her dirty clothes laying on the floor by her bed. Kitty then pulled her blankets down and crawled into bed, cradling Locky to her chest and pulling the blankets over her head.

* * *

Logan was busy in the kitchen when he caught a whiff of Kitty's shampoo. _Finally_, he thought, _I was starting to wonder where that kid had gone off to!_ He made his way up to her bedroom and knocked. When he didn't get an answer, he pushed the door open slightly.

Logan was surprised to see Kitty hiding under her covers, and even more surprised when he smelled the salty scent of tears. "Hey Half-Pint, what's wrong?" he asked as he came in and shut the door. He quickly made his way over to her bed and sat on the edge of it, rubbing Kitty's shoulder through the blanket.

Kitty grimaced; she wasn't really ready to face Logan, but she didn't think she wanted to prolong the inevitable anyway. Maybe it was better if she just got it over with now. Slowly pulling the blankets down, she looked at Logan through blurry eyes. She noticed that he looked really concerned; that was enough to send her into full-blown sobs as she launched herself into his arms.

Logan wasn't prepared for an armful of teenager, and he quickly had to reposition himself so they both didn't go flying off the bed. "Shhh, what's wrong baby?" he asked softly, rubbing Kitty's back. "Bad day at school?"

He cradled the teen in his arms for a long time, rocking back and forth slightly and humming softly to her. Slowly Kitty's crying lessened until it was just an occasional sniffle.

"Logan…I have to t-tell you something," she murmured into his neck, a few stray tears making their way down her cheeks.

Logan could feel her heart rate quickening, and he hugged her tightly. "Hey Half-Pint, whatever it is, you can tell me. We'll get through it together," he said.

Wanting to just get it out, Kitty poured out the events of the afternoon in a rush, hardly stopping to take a breath. When she finished, she looked at Logan nervously. "I'm sorry," she said, tears brimming.

Logan lifted Kitty off his lap and set her down next to him so he could look at her better. She hung her head and looked so much younger than her years. It made Logan's heart ache. "I'm proud of you for telling me on your own, Half-Pint. I'm disappointed that you skipped class, but it took a lot of courage for you to come clean like you did," he said, hooking a finger under her chin and making her look at him.

"Are you angry with me?" Kitty asked in barely more than a whisper.

"No Half-Pint, I'm not angry. No more skipping classes, and I don't want you hanging around that Alvers kid anymore, got it?" Logan said, brushing away a tear that was making its way down Kitty's cheek.

"I won't skip…But Logan…I really like Lance," said Kitty.

"He's not good for you, Kitty. Stay away from him," Logan said firmly. "Get the detention slip, I'll sign it."

Logan sighed as Kitty went to retrieve the slip. He could see that she had learned her lesson and wouldn't be skipping anymore, so he didn't really think he had to spank her for that. But he also could tell she was feeling really guilty about it all and beating herself up. A spanking would help her release her guilt and feel forgiven, but he wasn't sure if he had the heart to do that.

Kitty brought Logan the slip, a pen, and one of her notebooks to write on and handed them over. She watched quietly as he signed his name where it said "Parent signature" and sighed. Logan handed her everything back and she set it on her nightstand before going to stand in front of Logan. Without being told, Kitty lowered her sweats and bent across Logan's knees.

Logan was a bit taken aback by Kitty's actions and he almost told her to stop. But then he saw the look in her eyes as she lowered herself over his lap. The poor kid really was putting herself through the wringer. Clearly she needed this spanking to ease her conscience. Steeling himself, he hooked a finger in her pink polka dot underwear and tugged them down.

Kitty grabbed her pillow and hugged it to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. Her stomach was tied up in guilty knots and she squirmed some as she felt Logan baring her. She really didn't want to be spanked, but she knew she deserved it…and she knew that when it was over, she would feel a lot better (well, emotionally at least).

Logan took a deep breath and raised his arm, bringing his hand down in the center of Kitty's bottom with medium force.

"Ow!" Kitty yelped, biting her lip. She winced as the next two swats landed and found herself crying by the fourth one.

Logan was keeping the swats light; he didn't want to spank her very hard, just enough to get her to have a good cry and let go.

By the eighth spank, Kitty was sobbing—more from her actions that landed her here than the spanking itself. Because she truly felt that every smack was more than deserved, Kitty was determined not to make it harder for Logan, and didn't fight or beg him to stop.

Logan lifted his right knee a bit for better access to Kitty's sit-spots and landed the next four spanks there.

"Ow! Ouch!" Kitty cried, going limp.

Deciding it was time to end the spanking, Logan landed a further four spanks—one each to the fullest part of Kitty's bottom, and the last two to her sit-spots—thus covering every part of her bottom once more. Her bottom was by now a light pink that would go back to normal before the night was through.

"Owwwww!" sobbed Kitty, unable to help herself from squirming. Kitty squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for the next swat, but it didn't come. Instead, Logan was pulling up her underwear.

"I-is that it?" Kitty choked out, craning her neck to try to look at Logan. Her bottom was definitely stinging, but she was surprised he was ending it already. She had been expecting a much harder spanking—her bottom had hurt more after his warning spanking for fighting with Boom Boom than it did now.

"Do you really want more?" Logan asked, reaching for Kitty's underwear again.

"N-NO!" Kitty said quickly, and Logan laughed.

"I was just teasing you, Half-Pint. I know you learned your lesson," Logan said, giving Kitty a gentle pat. He helped the teen up and held her steady as she righted her sweats, before settling her face up on his lap. Kitty buried her head in his shoulders and cried herself out.

"All's forgiven, Kitty. Shhh, everything is fine," Logan murmured, rocking her gently. He continued to rock in silence for a few more minutes until Kitty's breathing evened back out.

"How about we go have some ice cream? I got all the fixins' already set out," Logan said, standing Kitty up before rising himself.

"That sounds good," Kitty said, rubbing her bottom as she followed Logan out of her bedroom. Kitty really did feel a lot better now, even if her bottom did feel like a hundred angry hornets had stung her. She had paid the consequences for her actions and everything was right again.


	10. Chapter 10

****This chapter is mostly fluff, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway. :)

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

The first snow of the season came on the last day of November. Rogue woke Kitty by throwing a pillow at her from her own bed.

"Kitty, it's snowing! Look outside!" said Rogue as she dashed to the window. Having grown up in Mississippi, she didn't get to see snow that often, and never this much at once. It had snowed nearly two feet overnight and schools were closed. Rogue couldn't wait to get outside and build a snowman!

Kitty untangled herself from her blankets and joined Rogue at the window. Snowflakes were falling at a steady pace and the whole Institute was covered in a blanket of untouched snow—that is, until Kurt decided to teleport outside and make a snow angel.

Kitty rolled her eyes and opened the window to yell at the boy. "KURT! You're ruining it! You should have at least waited for the rest of us!"

"Oh Kitty, lighten up. There's still plenty of snow out there for all of us. And at the rate it's falling, it'll be covered up in a few minutes anyway," Kurt said as soon as he teleported into their bedroom, getting snow all over their floor.

Kitty closed the window with a huff and strode to the door. "Boys," she mumbled grumpily as she stepped into the hallway.

"Whoa! Waaatch out!" Evan called out, barreling down the hallway on his skateboard.

Kitty phased and Evan soared straight through her. "That was _awesome_ Kitty!" he yelled, looking back at her as he slowed down.

Kitty opened her mouth, about to retort that almost getting run over first thing in the morning was definitely _not_ awesome, but Ororo had just come up the stairs and cut in before Kitty could say anything.

"Evan Daniels, what have I told you about skateboarding in the house?" she scolded, towering over the boy.

"Uh, sorry Auntie O, I didn't—"

"Give me that skateboard, young man. I'll give it back to you when you can learn to control yourself," Ororo said.

"Aw, Auntie O!" Evan whined, but handed his board over after a stern look from his aunt.

"Kitty, are you alright?" Ororo asked, depositing her nephew's skateboard in her room and closing the door.

"Yeah, fine," Kitty said, glaring at Evan who shrugged sheepishly. "_Boys_," she grumbled for the second time in two minutes.

"Alright then. Everyone get downstairs for breakfast! I made waffles!" Ororo said, leading the way downstairs.

Logan noticed Kitty's annoyed expression as soon as she stepped through the kitchen doorway. "Rough morning already, Half-Pint?" he asked lightly, taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"Ugh," Kitty groaned, flopping down next to Logan at the table and grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl.

"I take that as a yes…" said Logan, reaching over to rub the girl's shoulder. "Least you don't have school today, that's something to be happy about."

Logan noticed Kitty's mood improved immensely after getting some food in her belly, and by the end of breakfast she was back to her normal cheerful self.

"Logan, are you going to come play out in the snow with us later?" Kitty asked, smiling mischievously at her "foster father".

"I don't really..._play_, Half-Pint," Logan replied.

* * *

Two hours later, Logan found himself outside building a snowman with Kitty and Rogue. Despite all his protests, Kitty had weaseled her way into getting him to cooperate, the little brat!

"Kitty, can I go inside yet?" he asked as Kitty placed a carrot into the snowman's face.

"No Logan! Don't you want to have a snowball fight with us next?" Kitty replied as she took a step away, admiring their work. Rogue wrapped a red and yellow striped scarf around its neck and both girls giggled.

"He's cute, isn't he?" said Kitty and she came over to snuggled against Logan.

"Adorable," grumbled Logan.

"I got it! I got it!" yelled Scott as he came running towards the three of them, looking backwards with his arms outstretched to catch the spiraling football.

"GOT IT!" he said triumphantly before plowing straight into the snowman.

"SCOTT! We _just_ finished that!" yelled Kitty, stomping over to the snow-covered boy.

"Whoa…uh, oops!" Scott said sheepishly, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. Reaching under his jacket, he pulled out the lump there. "Uh, here," he said, handing Kitty a broken carrot.

"BOYS!" Kitty raged, scooping up a handful of snow and throwing it into Scott's face before stomping off towards the mansion.

Logan watched the exchange quietly, surprised at Kitty's outburst. He then took off after the angry teen, knowing he should probably scold her for throwing a tantrum, but already deciding he wouldn't. She just gave him the perfect excuse for going inside!


	11. Chapter 11

_This story picks up at the end of "Walk On the Wild Side" (from Season 2). Tired of the boys playing the heroes, Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Amara, and Tabitha decide to take things into their own hands by becoming the vigilante group called the "Bayville Sirens"._

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Logan watched silently as the four teens walked through the front door, giggling and looking extremely proud of themselves. It was almost twelve o'clock at night—way past curfew—and they walk in without a care in the world. He was appalled to see the teens dressed in tight leather clothing far too mature for any of them.

"I can't believe that cop let us go! How awesome was that?" Amara said, taking her sunglasses off.

"Yeah, it was a close one, that's for sure," Kitty agreed, laughing. "Did you see those thugs' faces when we—"

Logan had decided he heard enough, and flipped on the light. "Hello girls," he growled, leaving his concealed spot behind the stairs. He planted himself in front of the shocked teenagers and crossed his arms.

"L-Logan!" Kitty gasped, gulping. She felt her heartbeat accelerating at an alarming rate.

"Would anyone care to tell me where you've been—out after curfew, and dressed like _that_?" Logan said angrily, giving them all a stern look.

"Logan, please we—"

"Save it, Kitty. I know you girls are the Bayville Sirens. What were you thinking? You girls could have exposed us all with your pointless heroics!" Logan scolded, cutting the girl off. Kitty winced and hung her head guiltily.

"I wouldn't call it pointless, Logan. We helped a lot of people," Jean replied, though she looked somewhat uncertain.

"And how is it any different than what we do with the X-Men?" Rogue chimed in.

"It's not your job to go after criminals—leave that to the police. And the difference is _we_ don't go looking for trouble. We fight when we have to, and it's always other mutants. We do it to keep our _anonymity_! But you girls are all over the evening news!" Logan yelled, unable to keep his temper in check. He couldn't believe the girls would pull a stunt like this.

Kitty found herself crying quietly by the end of Logan's speech; Amara was shaking slightly (Logan scared her more than anyone else she had ever met); Jean felt her stomach twist in extreme guilt and humiliation; and Rogue simply bit the inside of her cheek—but from annoyance more than anything else (she still didn't see what the big deal was).

"You three are grounded for a month," Logan said more calmly, pointing to Jean, Rogue, and Amara. "Kitty, it's three weeks for you," he added.

"What? That's not fair! Why does Kitty get less time? Perfect little Kitty, we all know she's your favorite!" Rogue argued, stepping forward. She knew the real reason for why Kitty had a week less, but was too frustrated to care. Rogue caught a glimpse of Kitty's face though and instantly felt guilty.

"One more word out of you and I'll give you a lickin' you won't ever forget," Logan threatened, towering over the rebellious teen.

"You can't hit me!" Rogue yelled back angrily, feeling more confident than she actually was.

"You want to try me?" Logan challenged, moving his hands to his belt buckle and raising an eyebrow. Rogue wasn't easily intimidated, but she involuntarily took two steps back from the angry man mere inches away from her.

Satisfied that he had subdued Rogue with his bluff, Logan continued, "The only time any of you are allowed to leave the mansion is for school or if you're with any of the adults for whatever reason. You will come straight home after school and do your homework. Your television, phone, and computer privileges are revoked for the extent of your punishment. And finally, you'll be doing extra chores around here to keep you out of anymore mischief. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes sir," the four girls chorused.

"Get to bed then," Logan ordered. Jean, Amara, and Rogue quickly hastened to obey, not wanting to be near Logan any longer. Kitty remained, hesitantly glancing up at Logan through blurry eyes. He looked tired and angry. She gulped and stared at the floor.

"Katherine," Logan sighed, and Kitty winced. She chanced another look at him, and saw disappointment written all over his face. It was too much for her to bear, and she flung herself into his arms sobbing.

"I'm s-s-sorry Logan. I s-swear I won't do it a…again!" she choked, soaking Logan's shirt with salty tears.

Logan held Kitty as she cried, rubbing her back to comfort her. He was disappointed and even a little angry with her, but that didn't mean his heart didn't break hearing her cry. "You should get to bed, Half-Pint," he said softly once the girl's sobs had lessened.

Kitty quickly untangled herself from Logan's arms, believing she had misheard him. "Wh-what?" she asked.

"It's late," said Logan, who was exhausted himself.

"Aren't…aren't you going to sp-spank me?" Kitty stammered, looking into Logan's eyes questioningly.

"Not tonight. We'll deal with it first thing in the morning," Logan said.

Kitty felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Logan had never made her wait for a punishment before; he always dealt with it right away. Now he was going to send her to bed with the weight of her guilt and the anticipation of her punishment bearing down on her?

"N-no," Kitty said, shaking her head.

"Excuse me?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you really going to argue with me, young lady?"

"I-I'm not! I—please don't make me wait, Logan. Not 'til morning. Couldn't you just…do it now?" Kitty asked, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Kitty…I'm tired and angry, and I'm not going to punish you like this," Logan said, sighing.

"But—"

"I'm not doing this to be mean, Half-Pint. I don't want to risk hurting you in anger though. That's why I want to wait until the morning. This isn't supposed to be another punishment for you," Logan said, pulling the girl close to him again. "I love you, Katherine Pryde—no matter what you do."

"I love you too, Logan," cried Kitty, burying her face into Logan's shirt and breathing in his cologne. It made her feel safe.

"Come on, I'll walk you up to bed," Logan said, taking Kitty's hand in his and guiding her up the stairs. At her door, he stopped and put his hands on either side of her face, tilting her head up so he could kiss her on the forehead. He then reached behind her to turn the doorknob; the door swung open silently. Kitty sighed and turned to go to bed.

"Oh, and Kitty?" Logan asked, stopping the girl from shutting the door on him. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "We're going to burn those clothes in the morning as well. I don't ever want to see you wearing something like that again. Got it?"

"Got it," Kitty meekly replied.

"Goodnight, Half-Pint," Logan said, shutting the door with a soft click before retiring to his own room for the night.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The next chapter will include spanking. Skip if that's not your thing.


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning:** This chapter involves spanking.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Kitty kicked off her black boots before stripping out of her leather halter-top and skin-tight cropped pants. She was just grabbing for her pajamas when Rogue's bedside lamp turned on. Kitty ignored it and pulled her top on.

"Kitty…I'm really sorry for what I said earlier," Rogue said, biting her lip.

"You really shouldn't push Logan like that," replied Kitty as she stepped into her sleep shorts and climbed into bed.

"I know…but I meant about what I said about you. I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. I didn't mean to call attention to…uh…your, um—"

"It's ok, Rogue," Kitty said, feeling herself blush. She didn't normally talk about the fatherly role Logan played in her life, and no one ever asked—it was like an unspoken rule or something (which was perfectly fine with Kitty). Rogue of course knew much more than the rest, simply because the two shared a room together.

"So…um…did he…you know?" Rogue asked.

Kitty shook her head sadly and grabbed Locky from under the covers where he had gotten tangled up in from the night before. "He said first thing in the morning…" she trailed off with a sigh, flopping back on her pillows.

* * *

Kitty rolled over and was surprised to find she had slept in until ten-thirty. She couldn't remember when she finally fell asleep, but she remembered tossing and turning for a long time. She was also a little surprised that Logan hadn't come to wake her sooner. After all, he did say they would "_deal with it first thing in the morning_"—and Logan always woke by six at the latest.

Deciding she might as well shower before going to find Logan, Kitty grabbed a towel and some clothes before making her way to the bathroom. Locking the door, she stripped out of her pajamas and turned on the water.

Kitty spent much longer in the shower than normal this morning. The warm water felt good on her body, and it helped release some of the nervousness she had been feeling ever since last night. She spent a long time lathering her hair with shampoo, playing with her hair and making "shampoo styles" as her mom used to call it. She made several crazy hairdos before rinsing the suds out.

By the time Kitty turned the water off and stepped out of the tub, the bathroom was filled with thick steam. She dried off and pulled on her clothes (she had carefully picked out a pair of black track pants that she knew wouldn't rub against a sore bottom). She then brushed her teeth and ran a comb through her hair.

Having no other means of procrastination, Kitty left the bathroom and headed back to her bedroom. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Logan sitting on her bed. Sighing, she shut the door and threw her towel and pajamas into her hamper before slowly making her way to Logan's side.

"You took a long shower this morning, Half-Pint," Logan said as he watched the girl move about the room.

Kitty looked at Logan cautiously, not sure if he thought she was stalling and was angry with her because of that. "I, uh…sorry. I needed to…wake up," Kitty stammered, gulping audibly.

Sensing Kitty's unease, Logan grabbed her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him. He didn't want to scare the poor kid. He just wanted to make her realize how serious her actions were, and make sure she never did anything like that again.

"Rough night? Me too," he said. "I didn't sleep at all."

"Me neither," said Kitty, leaning against her mentor. "I really am sorry, Logan."

"I know you are, Half-Pint. But I need you to realize the seriousness of what you girls did," said Logan solemnly. "You can't just go off and fight bad guys because you can. It isn't your job, and you all could have gotten into a lot of trouble. I heard Amara say the cops let you go? What if they hadn't, Kitty? What if they decided to arrest you? Do you really want a record?"

Kitty shook her head and stared at her hands.

"That's not even the worst of it! You could have gotten seriously hurt. There is no reason for you to put yourself in needless danger," Logan continued. He sighed and hooked a finger under Kitty's chin, making her look up at him. "You need to start thinking about the outcomes of your actions. You're far too impulsive, little girl. It's your impulsiveness that gets you into trouble every time. You don't think about what may happen. And stop risking your safety—and your _life_!"

Kitty squirmed uncomfortably at Logan's scolding. She really hadn't thought about the consequences of her actions. She was just having fun playing the heroine with the other girls, and she didn't think anything bad would happen. And she _definitely_ never thought that she was risking her safety!

"I-I'm sorry, Logan," Kitty said, a few tears escaping and making their way down her face.

"I don't want to be harsh with you, but I refuse to see you get hurt or _kill_ yourself by doing something stupid. If it means having to give you a sore butt to make you think twice next time, then I'll do it every time," he said, feeling a lump form in his throat. Kitty fidgeted more and bit her lip.

Deciding he had talked enough, Logan took Kitty's wrist and pulled her across his knees. Kitty let out a small squeal of surprise when Logan moved her into position, and squirmed as he quickly bared her.

Logan waited for Kitty to settle down and lay still before he rested his left hand on the small of her back to hold her in place, while at the same time raising his right. He let it hang in the air for a second before bringing it down with a loud _crack_ on her left cheek.

"AH!" Kitty cried out, jumping at the impact. The sting quickly spread over her cheek. She gritted her teeth as the next one landed in the same spot on her right side.

Logan fell into a steady rhythm, alternating between cheeks and then hitting both in one go. Kitty gasped and yelped, shifting from side to side trying to get away from his punishing hand. Logan simply wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his torso, not slowing down in the least.

"Ah! I-I'll be goo—OW! S-s-stop! Ouch!" Kitty cried, her tears streaming down her face in rivers. Her bottom felt like it was on _fire_; she desperately wanted it to end. She couldn't remember Logan hitting her this hard since the Sabretooth incident—but then again, she hadn't done anything that bad in awhile…until now.

Logan steeled his heart against Kitty's cries, hating every minute just as much as she did. It truly did hurt him to have to spank her, but he knew she needed this punishment. Her bottom was rapidly turning a darker pink, so Logan shifted her on his lap so he had better access to her most sensitive spots, wanting to make sure she felt this every time she sat down for a day or two.

Kitty began sobbing when she felt Logan shifting her forward on his lap, knowing what was coming. She absolutely hated when he spanked her sit-spots—it was the most sensitive and ached much longer than any other part of her bottom.

Logan began peppering the area with a volley of firm swats. Kitty cried loudly and kicked her legs. "N-n-noooo! OW! OW! N-not—AHH!—thereeeeeee!" she howled.

After another dozen and some smacks, Kitty went limp and Logan ended the spanking. Her bottom was a bright cherry red and he could feel the heat radiating from her skin. Kitty was still crying hard and squirming, unaware that her punishment had ended.

"Shhh baby, it's all over," Logan said softly, rubbing the girl's back to calm her down. He reached for the bottle on Kitty's nightstand that he had placed there earlier.

Kitty felt Logan shift and let out a loud sob. "W-what are you doing?" she asked tearfully, craning her neck to look at Logan's face.

"I was just getting the aloe lotion…it'll help the sting," Logan said as he poured some lotion into his hand. Then, as gently as he could, he began rubbing it into the sore flesh of Kitty's bottom.

Kitty jumped at Logan's touch because it further irritated her angry skin. "Ow! You n-never used al—Ouch!—aloe before. I-it hurts," Kitty cried, squirming.

"It won't in a minute," Logan said as he continued with his task. He paid careful attention to her sit-spots and made sure to apply a generous amount of aloe there.

Kitty stopped squirming; the lotion felt cool on her hot bottom, and it really was starting to help. She settled down and let Logan continue.

By the time Logan was finished rubbing the lotion into her sore skin, Kitty had stopped crying except for an occasional sniffle. Logan gently pulled her underwear back into place and then set Kitty on her feet, holding her steady as she pulled her track pants up. She winced as she tugged them up and over her bottom, and reached back to rub immediately.

"I'm gonna be sore for _days_," she complained sadly.

"Well it'll remind you of the consequences of your actions, won't it? Perhaps you won't act so recklessly next time?" Logan answered sternly.

"I promise!" Kitty said quickly, her eyes sparkling from all the tears she had shed.

"I don't want to lose you, Half-Pint. I know I gave you a hard spanking…but like I said before, I won't have you getting hurt or killed because you don't think things through and act on your impulses. And I promise you, any time you risk your safety—and I don't care how old you are—you _will_ get a spanking. Understood?"

"Y-yes sir!" Kitty said, nodding her head hastily.

"C'mere, brat," Logan said, opening his arms for her to curl up in. Kitty immediately settled onto his lap, being mindful of her sore backside, and laid her head against his shoulder.

Logan kissed Kitty's damp head, breathing in the sweet smell of her shampoo, and rocked her gently. The two stayed like that for a long time, and Logan was content to stay like that forever.

"I love you, Half-Pint," he said. He then looked down and noticed Kitty had fallen asleep in his arms. Smiling, he very carefully moved her so that she was lying on her stomach in bed. He then pulled her blankets up and placed Locky in her arms before running his hand through her hair once. "Sweet dreams baby."


	13. Chapter 13

I hadn't planned on this chapter, but it pushed its way in unannounced. I couldn't resist adding it. I hope you all enjoy!

To the reviewer that asked if Logan would eventually take care of Rogue like he does Kitty: I'm keeping the focus on Kitty and Logan's relationship, but I added a tiny plot bunny for you…and if it doesn't show up in this story, I will do a one-shot spin-off. ;)

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Kitty woke up and winced. During her nap, she had rolled over onto her back, and now that she was awake, she was acutely aware of her still-sore backside. Rolling onto her side, Kitty checked the clock. It was one. Yawning, she quickly got out of bed and rubbed her bottom.

"Sore, huh?" Rogue asked, startling Kitty.

"I didn't know you were there!" said Kitty. "You were so quiet."

"Sorry…so how'd it go with Logan? He talked to us beforehand, while you were still sleeping. Told us how we could have gotten arrested, or hurt, and we need to think about the consequences of our actions. And then he made us clean the X-Jet. We only just finished about twenty minutes ago," Rogue said, putting the magazine she had been reading aside.

"Yeah, I got the same lecture. And then…you know," said Kitty, blushing slightly.

"Can I ask you something kinda personal?" Rogue asked and Kitty nodded. "Why do you let him…smack you?"

Kitty sighed and came to sit down on Rogue's bed, wincing as she put weight on her seat. "Well…he only ever s-spanks me when I deserve it. And it's almost always for putting myself in danger. And…I do feel better afterwards—well, not my butt—but I don't feel guilty anymore. Then he always holds me and tells me he loves me," said Kitty, staring intently at the pattern on Rogue's comforter.

"I apologized to him for what I said last night, you know," Rogue said, and Kitty looked into the cool gray eyes of her friend.

"Yeah? How'd that go?" the younger teen asked.

"He told me if I ever spoke to him like that again…he'd smack me," said Rogue sheepishly. "Do you think he really would?"

"I wouldn't test him to find out!" said Kitty as she rose from the bed, her hands instinctively going to her bottom. She rubbed for a minute and then added, "I'm gonna go get something to eat. I'm starving. See you later?"

"Yeah," Rogue said as she opened her magazine once again.

Kitty walked into the kitchen to find the boys—Scott, Evan, and Kurt—raiding the pantry and fridge for food. "Jeez guys. Hungry much?" Kitty said, trying but failing to push Kurt out of the way.

"What? We work up a man's appetite training all the time," said Spyke, shrugging.

"Whatever," Kitty mumbled, rolling her eyes. Deciding to come back later when there was less chance of being trampled by hungry teenage boys in search of sustenance, Kitty went to search for Logan. She found him in the living room flipping through the channels on the tv.

"Hey," Kitty said softly.

"Oh, hey Half-Pint. Did you have a good nap?" Logan said, turning his attention to the teen. "Come sit down with me." He pulled the pillow out from behind him and flopped it onto the cushion besides him, winking at Kitty.

Kitty couldn't help but smile sheepishly as she made her way towards the sofa and lowered herself as gently as possible down onto it. The extra cushioning from the pillow worked wonders, she was happy to discover. Logan wrapped his arm around the girl and pulled her close, planting a kiss on her head.

"Wanna watch some tv with me?" he asked, waving towards the screen with the remote.

"But I...I'm grounded, remember?"

"Oh…yeah. I'm not used to grounding you…" Logan mumbled.

"Well…you know, you don't _have_ to," said Kitty hopefully.

"Nice try kiddo," Logan said, tickling her side. Kitty laughed and curled into a ball in an attempt to block Logan's hands from finding her ticklish spots. Logan laughed and attacked her with both hands now, wiggling his fingers up both her sides and squeezing her knees, causing Kitty to burst out in loud cackles.

"N-n-nooo! S-stop!" Kitty gasped, her eyes watering from laughing so much.

"This is what you get for trying to get out of your much deserved punishment!" said Logan as he attacked the girl's feet. Kitty kicked involuntarily, trying to escape, but Logan had a good hold on her.

"I'll b-be g-g-gooooood!" she yelled, panting.

Starting to pant himself, Logan ceased his assault and pulled Kitty onto his lap, cradling her against his chest. Kitty's laughter slowly diminished and her breathing began to slow.

"I love you, Half-Pint," Logan said, brushing away a strand of hair that clung to Kitty's slightly sweaty forehead.

"Love you too, Logan," Kitty said as her stomach growled loudly. Logan raised an eyebrow and laughed.

"Hungry, are you?" he asked. "Why don't I go whip you up some lunch?"

"The boys were in there scavenging just a minute ago," replied Kitty.

"And that means you can't eat? C'mon, I'll get rid of them," said Logan, standing and pulling Kitty up with him.

Kitty smiled as she was led down the hallway, content in the knowledge that no matter what she did, Logan was always going to be there for her.


	14. Chapter 14

_****I personally think this chapter is really cute, and I don't think it would be at all out of character for Logan to become a HUGE papa bear when his baby got sick. I hope you all enjoy this! Review if you'd like, I LOVE reading them (well, the nice and/or constructive ones...not the means ones from jerks. So don't be a jerk, ok?) :D _

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

Kitty's alarm clock went off at 6:30 for school. Kitty groaned and phased a finger through the device to stop that infernal buzzing. It was making her head throb. In fact, now that Kitty's eyes were fluttering open, she became acutely aware of the extreme pounding in her head, the fact that her throat felt like she swallowed razor blades, and the deep ache all over her body. One thing was clear: Kitty Pryde was sick.

Kitty could hear Rogue stirring across the room, but she just rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. She definitely wasn't going to school feeling like she did!

"Are you getting up?" Rogue asked once she was awake and moving around their room. Kitty just moaned so Rogue left to get ready in the bathroom. When she returned almost twenty minutes later, Kitty was still curled up in her bed.

"Kitty? You need to get up, it's almost seven," she said, shaking the younger girl's shoulder.

"I'm sick," Kitty groaned, opening her right eye to look at Rogue. "Will you go get Logan for me?"

"Yeah…I'll be right back," Rogue said as she hurried for the door.

Logan was in the kitchen making pancakes for the kids when Rogue dashed in. "Logan, Kitty's sick. She wanted me to come find you," the girl said.

"What's wrong with her?" Logan asked concerned.

"I duno, she didn't say…she just said she wanted you," Rogue replied.

"Alright. I'll be right there," said Logan, flipping the pancake in the pan and looking around. "Someone take over here for me."

"I got it," said Scott, rising from the table. Logan handed the boy the spatula and followed Rogue back up to her and Kitty's bedroom.

"Hey Half-Pint, not feeling well? What's wrong?" Logan asked as soon as he entered the room.

"Everything hurts," Kitty moaned, holding her head.

Logan sat down on the edge of her bed and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. "You're burning up, kiddo," he said, stroking Kitty's cheek gently. "I'll go get some aspirin. Rogue, you better head downstairs."

"I'll pick up your schoolwork for you, Kitty. Feel better," Rogue said as she was ushered out of the room in front of Logan.

Logan followed Rogue downstairs and into the kitchen where all the kids were now congregating for breakfast. Ororo and Hank were also there, keeping the kids in line. "Morning Logan, where's Kitty?" Hank asked, handing out plates to passing kids.

"Half-Pint has the flu. So listen up everyone," Logan said, turning his attention to the room, "I want you all to stay away from Kitty, got it? No bothering her, she needs rest. And none of you need to be coming down with what she's got either."

"Poor thing! Should we move her into a bed in the infirmary?" Ororo asked.

"Nah, I'll set her up in my bed. I'll pull out the sofa bed for myself, and I'll just take care of her—not like I can get sick," Logan replied, retrieving a glass from the cabinet and filling it with ice water.

Logan grabbed the bottle of aspirin from the medicine cabinet on his way back to Kitty's room. "Here you go," he said, handing Kitty the water and two pills. Kitty sat up and obediently downed the pills before lying back on her pillows again.

"Don't get too comfortable, I'm moving you soon," said Logan, planting a kiss to Kitty's hot, sticky forehead.

Logan was back within fifteen minutes, but Kitty had already dozed off. "C'mon Half-Pint," he whispered, gently pulling the covers down. Sliding his arms under the teen, he carefully lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Kitty had her stuffed dragon, Locky, tucked securely in her right arm, and Logan couldn't help but smile at the sight—she looked so young like this.

Logan carried Kitty out of her bedroom and down the hallway to his own room. Once inside, he gently placed Kitty onto his bed and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders. He had changed his sheets so they were fresh and clean, and would feel good against Kitty's hot skin.

* * *

Kitty woke up in a cold sweat and flung the covers off of herself. As her eyes adjusted, she realized she wasn't in her own bed. "Wha—" she began, springing into a sitting position.

"Whoa, calm down, Half-Pint," Logan said, startled by Kitty's reaction when she woke. He rushed over to his queen-sized bed and settled down next to the teen. "You're in my room."

"Why?" asked Kitty, her voice hoarse. Her eyes traveled around the room. Logan's room was very large and spacious. His bed sat in the middle of the room, across from the door. To the right of her sat a black leather sofa and chair. Next to the door was a mahogany dresser with a medium-sized tv sitting on top, so that Logan could watch easily from his bed. On the left side of the room was the door to his private bathroom, and a closet in the far left corner with a worn wooden trunk sitting between them.

"Didn't want you infecting everyone else…and this way I can be right here if you need anything," said Logan, running his hand over Kitty's tangled hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad," moaned Kitty, closing her eyes at Logan's touch.

"Well at least your fever broke. Are you hungry at all?" Logan said as he felt her forehead.

"I'm not hungry," said Kitty, shaking her head slightly.

"Wanna watch some tv or something then? I can't imagine you want to go back to sleep. You've been sleeping all day. It's almost two," Logan suggested. He moved so that he was stretching out next to Kitty, and grabbed the remote. He handed the remote to his sick little girl and then grabbed one of the pillows she had been sleeping on to his lap.

Kitty smiled in spite of feeling so awful, and cuddled up against Logan, laying her head in his lap. Turning on the tv, she sighed as Logan's fingers found her head again and began rubbing.

* * *

Kitty spent the next three days in quarantine, stuck in Logan's bed. It wasn't a bad bed—much bigger than hers and she had plenty of room to stretch out—but Kitty missed _her_ bed. Logan was constantly with her, making sure she drank lots and was always checking her for a fever. He slept on the pullout bed in his sofa and Kitty knew he woke up a few times a night to check on her. It really was nice, but Kitty couldn't wait until she was better. She really did _feel_ much better, but Logan told her he wanted to be absolutely sure she was over her illness, so he kept her home from school Thursday and Friday just to be safe. At least by Thursday night, Logan let Kitty move back to her bed.

Kitty drowsily opened her eyes during the night, not at all surprised to see Logan hovering over her. "Logaaaan," she whined, "I'm fine. _Really_. You don't have to keep doing this, you know."

"Oh…Half-Pint…I didn't mean to wake you," Logan whispered, embarrassed that he had gotten caught. This was the third time tonight that he had come to check on her; thankfully she slept through the two times.

"I love you Logan…but go to bed and leave me alone," said Kitty, rolling over with a huff and pulling her covers over her head.

"Uh…love you too, Kitty. Goodnight," said Logan, patting Kitty's shoulder twice before quietly returning to his room.


	15. Chapter 15

_And here is chapter 15! Yay! I stayed up all night working on it. Literally, ALL night. It's 6:23 am as I'm typing this. One reviewer suggested I make my chapters longer, and I definitely did just that! I will now try my best to make most of my chapters longer (there may still be some shorter ones mixed in though.) I really hope you enjoy this chapter. _

_**Warning:** This chapter does involve a brief spanking scene. _

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Kitty found herself bent forward, tucked under Logan's arm and pinned against his left side as he doled out crisp swats to her vulnerable bottom. She winced each time his hand landed on her cheeks with a loud _crack_ that echoed throughout the domed Danger Room. Her uniform protected her some from the sting, but she couldn't help but gasp and yelp every time Logan delivered a particularly hard swat, especially to the sensitive under curve of her sit-spots.

Kitty was trying to keep count of the swats, but she found it was becoming increasingly hard to concentrate. She think she counted fourteen, but she wasn't at all sure anymore. All she knew was that she wanted to be let up from this awful position.

"Are you going to behave now, or do we need to continue this discussion upstairs?" Logan asked sternly as he landed two real stingers that made Kitty cry out.

"Ow! Yea—AH!" she yelped, gritting her teeth. "Let me _go_!" That comment earned her two more hard spanks. "OW! AHH!"

"I _mean_ it, Kitty," said Logan as he straightened the girl so he could look her in the face. He noticed the unshed tears welling in her eyes. "No more cussing or backtalk, got it?"

"_OK_!" Kitty said defiantly, pulling away from Logan. She was immensely embarrassed that he had smacked her in front of the rest of the team during their training session. Swiping at her eyes quickly with the back of her hand, she turned on her heel and ran for the door.

"KATHERINE ANNE PRYDE!" Logan roared, taking a step forward. "What did I _just_ say?"

"Let her go, Logan…you two can talk later when you've both calmed down," said Storm, moving forward to rest her hand on Logan's shoulder to stop him.

Logan sighed and watched Kitty phase through the door before turning to the rest of the teens who were all standing around looking uncomfortable. "Take over, will you Storm?" he said as he made his own exit.

* * *

Kitty's heart was pounding as she raced to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Hot, angry tears coursed down her face as she tore off her boots and unzipped her uniform. She went to her dresser and dug through her drawers furiously, throwing clothes out at random. Finally she pulled on a pair of royal blue mesh gym shorts and a black ribbed tank.

Kitty huffed and flopped down on her bed, jumping up almost immediately. "Ow!" she groaned, reaching back to rub her backside. Until this point, her fury had masked the pain in her posterior, but now it seemed to throb with each beat of her heart, as if it was being intensified by her anger.

Ever since summer vacation had started two weeks ago, Logan had the teens doing extra sessions every morning at eight in the Danger Room. He said he wanted them in their best form because the day that mutants were exposed was fast approaching. He seemed to be going extra hard on Kitty—riding her nonstop in training, telling her to do this and that—and _nothing_ was good enough for him. Kitty finally snapped and screamed quite a few choice words at him (words that had she not still been so angry, she knew she would feel guilty for having said). Right now however, she felt justified, and more than that, she felt rebellious.

Slipping on her running shoes, Kitty decided to go for a little jog. Not even bothering to open the door, she simply phased through it and took off downstairs, phasing through the front door as well. She dashed passed Bobby, Sam, and Ray who were hanging out on the front steps. "Whoa! Where's the fire?" Bobby shouted after her, but Kitty ran full speed towards the gates and didn't stop to even glance back at the boys.

She didn't think about where she was running, she just let her feet take her where they wanted to go. Houses, trees, and people passed in a blur. Her sides began to ache, but that seemed to only fuel her on. She ran through the pain. Kitty didn't stop running until she found herself in Bayville Park at the amphitheatre that Mr. McCoy always liked coming to when he needed to sort out his thoughts.

Kitty collapsed onto the first row of concrete tiered seating and just stared at the stage. She was slightly aware of the lingering sting, but she was now too tired to care.

* * *

Logan made his way to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and then went up to his bedroom. He popped the cap off the bottle and chugged the water down quickly. He then peeled off his uniform and went into the bathroom to take a long shower.

The hot water relaxed his tense muscles and calmed his nerves. He wasn't sure what had gotten into Kitty, especially this past week. It seemed that every time he tried talking to her, she had a smart-aleck remark to make. She didn't want to spend time with him, and training with her was awful. She was being obstinate and moody, and Logan had to give her orders two or more times before she would follow them.

Today had been the worst incident so far. Kitty came into training mouthing off to him from the get-go, and then after being warned several times to knock it off, she called Logan some names that he was honestly shocked she knew. Having had enough, Logan tucked her under his arm and warmed her bottom pretty thoroughly, right there in front of everyone. He regretted now having punished her like that in front of the rest of the kids and Storm, but at the time…he was frustrated and wanted to get through to the child any way he could—and she hadn't left him with any other options!

After drying off and changing into a pair of jeans and a plain blue t-shirt, Logan went to talk to Charles—perhaps he'd have some insight into what was going on with Kitty and could help!

"Chuck, I need your advice," Logan said as soon as he entered Charles' office.

"Of course, Logan," Charles replied, motioning for Logan to take a seat in one of the plush chairs opposite him. "What's your problem, my friend?"

"It's Kitty, I can't seem to figure out what's going on with her. She hasn't been acting like herself since summer started. She's constantly pushing my buttons….Today I spanked her in training. I don't know what to do, Chuck," said Logan, running a hand through his damp hair.

"You need to talk to her, Logan. Find out what's going on. She'll open up to you," said Charles.

"She won't talk to me! She barely wants to be in the same room with me anymore. I think I'm losing her…"

"You are _not _losing her. That child adores you! Clearly something is bothering her though. Would you like me to try speaking with her?"

"Nah…I think you're right, Chuck…I have to be the one to talk to her," Logan said, sighing.

Logan spent a good hour talking with Charles, and when he left the Professor's office, he felt more confident in what he would say to Kitty. Deciding now was as good a time as any to go talk with her, Logan made his way up to her bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Half-Pint, it's me. Can we talk?" Logan asked when his knock didn't get a response. He knocked again. "Half-Pint?"

When he still didn't receive an answer, Logan opened the door enough to poke his head in. Kitty was nowhere to be found. Sighing, he shut the door and went to search for the girl.

Logan checked everywhere; he checked the living room, kitchen, library, all of the classrooms—Kitty wasn't anywhere. He then pulled out his cell phone and dialed Kitty's number. It rang and rang, and finally her voicemail picked up. He hung up and tried two more times; on the third try he left her a message telling her to call when she got it.

"Hey, has anyone seen Half-Pint?" he asked a group of kids milling around the foyer. Amara and Jamie shook their heads.

"Yeah, she went tearing off earlier. Almost ran us over!" Bobby said.

"Did she say where she was going?" prodded Logan.

"No, didn't say anything. She just took off," replied Sam.

"Alright. Thanks guys," said Logan, returning to the kitchen where he knew Storm, Hank, and the rest of the kids from the training session would be.

"Kitty isn't here. Bobby and Sam said she took off a little bit ago, but they don't know where she went. I tried calling her a few times, and I'm only getting her voicemail. I think we should all go out looking for her. Something's up with that kid, and I'd like to find out what," said Logan.

"Of course, Logan. We'll find her," said Hank, setting his book of Shakespearean plays down onto the counter.

"I think we should go in a few groups—go to all the likely places Kitty would have gone to," replied Storm.

"Someone should go to the Brotherhood house, she may have gone there…Actually, I'll go there myself," said Scott darkly, digging in his pocket for his car keys.

"I'll come with you!" Kurt said, hurrying after Scott.

"We should probably check the school, park, and mall as well," Jean suggested.

"Alright…Ororo, Evan, you two go to the mall. Rogue, you go check the school. Jean, you can come with me to the park. Hank…it's probably best you stay here and call us if she comes back," said Logan.

* * *

Kitty didn't know how long she just sat and stared. Eventually, her butt started to get sore from the hard concrete, so she got up and made her way back towards the sidewalk. She wandered down to the playground and watched the kids playing for a bit, before spotting a large tree that looked perfect for climbing.

When she was younger, Kitty loved climbing trees. She liked being up above everyone and being able to observe them without being noticed. Not to mention it was so peaceful up in a tree. So, with all the agility of a squirrel, Kitty made her way up the tree, scrapping her knees a bit along the way. She stopped when she was a good eight to ten feet above the ground and leaned back against the trunk. She could stay up here all day and be perfectly happy!

Kitty stayed up in her perch until she heard a mother on the playground call to her children saying it was eleven-thirty and they had to go if they wanted to make it to the party at noon. _Eleven-thirty…that means training has been over for an hour and a half at least. I should probably get back before someone notices I'm gone_, Kitty thought as she sadly made her way back down to the ground.

She began a slow walk back to the Institute; she wasn't in a huge rush, after all. She was a few blocks away from school when she saw Scott and Kurt driving by in Scott's red sports car. They passed her and then Kitty heard the screech of tires.

"Hey! Kitty! We've been looking all over for you!" Kurt called out, waving to her.

"Get in the car! We're going home!" added Scott.

"I can walk," replied Kitty, not at all interested in talking to either of them after they had seen Logan spank her earlier. They were sure to pick on her endlessly for it.

"It isn't up for negotiation, Kitty. Get in the car, _now_," Scott said. "Don't make me get out and get you. I'll take a page out of Logan's book if I have to!"

"You wouldn't!" Kitty said, shocked and outraged all at once.

"Get in and you won't have to find out!" warned Scott. Kitty huffed and jumped in the back, buckling up and refusing to look at either of the boys (who both had huge grins on their faces). _Jerks_, she thought sourly.

Scott made a quick u-turn at the next light and started back towards the Institute while Kurt made a call on his phone and said, "We found her. We're on our way home now."

* * *

"Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you," said Logan as soon as Kitty walked in the door with Scott and Kurt.

"Out," she replied curtly, making her way passed Logan towards the stairs. He grabbed her elbow and turned her around to face him.

"Next time, make sure to let someone know where you're going. You had us all worried to death!" Logan scolded.

"Whatever," said Kitty as she phased out of Logan's grasp and ran to her room. Logan followed and opened the door right after Kitty slammed it in his face.

"Kitty, talk to me. What is going on in that head of yours?" Logan asked.

"Like you don't know!" Kitty said angrily, flopping onto her bed.

"No, I _don't_! Explain it to me!" Logan replied, pulling out the desk chair and straddling it. Kitty refused to look at him and pretended he wasn't there.

"I can sit here all day. I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me," Logan said.

Kitty sighed. She was angry with Logan, but if she was being really honest with herself, she _hated_ feeling this way towards Logan. She wanted to go back to the way things had been between them. And here he was trying to do that…so what was her problem?

"I'm mad at you," she said simply, not knowing where else to start. "You've been all over me in training. Nothing I do is good enough! I hate it!"

Logan was taken aback for a minute, but quickly regrouped. "Kitty…I had no idea you felt that way! It wasn't my intention to make you feel that you aren't doing good enough," he said.

"You keep pushing me," Kitty accused.

"Only because I want you to do your best. I'm sorry if I pushed too hard, Half-Pint. But recently, any time I try to talk to you, you've blown up at me. So I've been yelling at you more…I didn't know you were upset with me. If I had known, I would have fixed it sooner," Logan said, going to sit next to Kitty on her bed. He wrapped his arm around her and was relieved when she leaned up against him.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, tears prickling at the edges of her eyes.

"I'm sorry too baby," Logan said, kissing her head. That made Kitty burst into full-blown sobs. Now the guilt that she should have felt earlier came crashing down on her. All the awful names she had called Logan came flooding back to the forefront, and she was ashamed of herself. Not to mention how awful she had been treating Logan the past week and a half.

"I'm s-s-sorry I've been s-such a…a brat!" Kitty sobbed, throwing her arms around Logan and crying into his shoulder.

"Shhh, it's ok baby. It's ok now," Logan soothed, rubbing Kitty's back to calm her.

"I'm sorry I c-called you all those na-names!"

"I've got a thick skin. Shhh. It's ok," Logan whispered. He pulled Kitty onto his lap and began rocking her until her crying lessened. "I'm sorry I spanked you today," he said once her breathing was evening out.

Kitty pulled back to look Logan in the eyes, furrowing her brows. "Why? I-I deserved it," she stammered.

"Not in front of everyone like that. I was frustrated with you. I shouldn't have spanked you when I was feeling that way. I'm sorry." Logan could feel a few tears slowly making their way down his cheeks. He sniffled and quickly brushed them away.

"It's ok, Logan," said Kitty, hugging him tightly. Logan returned it just as tight.

"I love you, Half-Pint. I don't want to ever go through something like this again. Next time you have a problem or are upset with me, just tell me. You know you can come talk to me about anything. Always," he said.

"I love you too."

Logan pulled back from Kitty a bit so he could see her properly, and said, "Good…Well now that we've gotten that out of the way, I think you and I need to have a talk about your little disappearance act today."

Kitty's stomach dropped, and she gulped. Most of the time when Logan said they needed to have a "talk", it meant bad news for her bottom. "Are you gonna…gonna spank me for running off?" Kitty asked, chancing a quick glance up at Logan's face before averting her eyes again.

"I _should_—you had everyone worried and out looking for you," Logan said sternly, giving Kitty a look that made her wince, "But I think one spanking today is more than enough, don't you?" He then broke out in a huge smile.

Kitty let out a huge sigh of relief at hearing Logan wasn't planning on taking her over his knee. "Thanks Logan!" Kitty said, wrapping her arms around his neck again and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Just because I'm not gonna spank ya doesn't mean I'm not gonna lecture ya," said Logan and Kitty sighed. "Just make sure you let me or another adult know where you're going next time? And take your phone with you! I see yours is right there on your desk—a nice place for it!"

"I promise, Logan," Kitty said, snuggling up against his chest. Logan sighed and wrapped his arms around her again, glad that things were back to normal!

"Oh, and one more thing, Half-Pint," Logan said, looking around the room at all the scattered clothes lying everywhere.

"Yeah?"

"Clean up this mess!"


End file.
